nightowl,

On another thread you mentioned the problems with statins and the depletion of CoQ10. Thanks for bringing this issue up. You are right about the dangers of getting cholesterol too low. Actually, for many years cholesterol levels between 200 and 240 were considered normal. It wasn't until recently that government advisory boards which were heavily populated with "advisors" linked to the pharmaceutical companies begin to lower the threshhold at which folks should start taking their dangerous, money-making drugs. Now it seems that doctors will recommend statins for just about anyone with levels over 200.

This is criminal because the research does not justify it. What the research shows is that for the elderly in particular, longevity increases as cholesterol levels rise. It must be remembered that cholesterol is the body's healing substance. One interesting study showed that elderly women with readings of about 272 lived the longest. As levels decreased, so did the risk of dying.

Statins may slightly reduce the risk of heart disease, not by lowering cholesterol, but likely and largely by acting as an anti-inflammatory. But the side-effects must by taken into account. When talking about the side-effects of statins one scientist has commented that one such side-effect is death.

Mike

Mike,

Would you happen to have the source on women with cholesterol levels of 272 living longest. I'd love to be able to show it to my Dr.

Mari

Mari,

Here is the study. In brackets I added the standard U.S. equivalent to the European way of calculating cholesterol levels:

Cholesterol as risk factor for mortality in elderly women.
Forette B, Tortrat D, Wolmark Y.

Lancet. 1989 Apr 22;1(8643):868-70

Centre Claude Bernard de Gerontologie, Hopital Sainte Perine, Paris, France.

92 women aged 60 years and over (mean 82.2, SD 8.6) living in a nursing home and free from overt cancer were followed-up for 5 years. 53 died during this period; necropsy revealed cancer in only 1 patient. Serum total cholesterol at entry ranged from 4.0 to 8.8 mmol/l (mean 6.3, SD 1.1). Cox's proportional hazards analysis showed a J-shaped relation between serum cholesterol and mortality. Mortality was lowest at serum cholesterol 7.0 mmol/l [272], 5.2 times higher than the minimum at serum cholesterol 4.0 mmol/l [156] , and only 1.8 times higher when cholesterol concentration was 8.8 mmol/l [344]. This relation held true irrespective of age, even when blood pressure, body weight, history of myocardial infarction, creatinine clearance, and plasma proteins were taken into account. The relation between low cholesterol values and increased mortality was independent of the incidence of cancer.

PMID: 2564950 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Thanks, Mike. I appreciate the info.

Mari

I'm very glad to see this topic! I still struggle with anger over the criminality of this issue, but I'm getting chilled out and will be adding my voice to those of us debunking the myths about cholesterol.

I still need to read this book, "The Cholesterol Myths" but here is a snippet from a review:

"Ravnskov, a medical doctor with a PhD in chemistry, has had over 40 papers and letters published in peer-reviewed journals criticizing what Dr. George Mann, formerly of Vanderbuilt University, once called "the greatest scam in the history of medicine," namely the Lipid Hypothesis—the belief that dietary saturated fats and cholesterol clog arteries and cause atherosclerosis and heart disease.


Equipped with a razor-sharp mind and an impressive command of the literature, Ravnskov methodically slaughters the most famous sacred cow of modern medicine and the most profitable cash cow for assorted pharmaceutical companies. Sparing no one, Ravnskov again and again presents the tenets of the Lipid Hypothesis and the studies which supposedly prove them, and shows how the studies are flawed or based on manipulated statistics that actually prove nothing."

From https://www.westonaprice.org/bookrevi...rol_myths.html

Cholesterol is sometimes called "the body's band-aid" because it protects deteriorating blood vessels from further damage.

I wonder if the typical "Standard American Diet" - unhealthy - causes vessel damage and thus more cholesterol?

Just a thought.

Cheers,
BB

__________________
Improving health made simple.

have heard some interesting info about how cinnamon can help cardiovascular health, and lower cholesterol. I think that there is some good info on natural products that can really help.

Good luck, I hope your health is better.