Cholesterol does not cause heart disease in the elderly and trying to reduce it with drugs like statins is a waste of time, an international group of experts has claimed.
A review of research involving nearly 70,000 people found there was no link between what has traditionally been considered “bad” cholesterol and the premature deaths of over 60-year-olds from cardiovascular disease.
Published in the BMJ Open journal, the new study found that 92 percent of people with a high cholesterol level lived longer.
The authors have called for a re-evaluation of the guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, because “the benefits from statin treatment have been exaggerated”.
The results have prompted immediate scepticism from other academics, however, who questioned the paper’s balance.
High cholesterol is commonly caused by an unhealthy diet, and eating high levels of saturated fat in particular, as well as smoking.
It is carried in the blood attached to proteins called lipoproteins and has been traditionally linked to cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease and aortic disease.
Co-author of the study Dr Malcolm Kendrick, an intermediate care GP, acknowledged the findings would cause controversy but defended them as “robust” and “thoroughly reviewed”.
“What we found in our detailed systematic review was that older people with high LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, lived longer and had less heart disease.”
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6 comments:
Woo Hoo!
I KNEW they were wrong about cholesterol.
It was all about selling DRUGS to lower it.
I'm gonna eat a big steak.
Many people with high cholesterol have never had any cardiovascular problems; many people with low cholesterol have died from heart attacks and other cardiovascular issues. There is a growing body of evidence that the use of Statin drugs to reduce cholesterol has only one benefit - drug company profits (both Statin drugs and CoQ-10 as it is generally needed to offset the side effects of the Statins). There are no studies - as in absolutely zero) studies showing any relationship between medically reduced cholesterol and improved health.
That being said, it is true behavior factors that lead to increases in cholesterol can also lead to cardiovascular difficulties according to these same studies. Life style changes can in fact improve heart health and reduce cholesterol.
A good article appears in Doctor's Health Press, 7/28/14.
Link for Doctor's Health Press if allowed - http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/general-health/the-statin-controversy-continuesfor-good-reason
Statins are dangerous and if you are on them please do research on taking supplements called Ubiquinol and PQQ.
I went to a local cardiologist and he prescribed the highest dosage of statins and wanted my cholesterol down to nothing - he said.
I dropped him like a hot potato.
I did my own research and found that extremely low cholesterol is just as dangerous.
Instead of a nuclear stress test that has a 25% false positive rate and will land you in the cardiac cath lab, I had the new CT scan done and found at the age of 60 I had minimal build up in one area.
PRMC and most of the local doctors are ages behind in technology, science and care.
I stated that at this age, I was not looking to have a 20+ year commitment to the drug company.
Almost 25 years ago a local doctor told me I needed to take Lipitor after just one blood test result. I refused because first I am not a pill popper and I told him I was not taking that mess for the rest of my life because once you start it does not end. Now in recent years they have come out where Lipitor can hurt women and give them diabetes which they push another pill for. I feel I was right in my decision.
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