The Dangers of Statins – The Flipside of Cholesterol-Lowering Medications

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Statistics show that about a quarter of Americans from age 45 and above are taking statin drugs. This is also the estimated number of Americans who should start asking themselves whether it is still worth it to continue taking the drugs or not.

Muscle Pain and Heart Failure

Muscle pain, along with feeling weak, is the most common side effect associated with statins. In fact, reports state that about 75% of patients using statins suffer from muscle pain. Particularly those who are physically active. Experts assume that this may be due to the decreased energy production in muscles caused by the deteriorating levels of Q10 proteins.

Heart failure also has a direct link to muscle pain. The incidence of heart failure has increased in the past few years. The increase has been related to the affected production of Co-Q10 caused by statin drugs.

The lack of Co-Q10 inhibits the cell’s mitochondria to produce energy, which in turn leads to muscle pain and weakness. Hence, these also make the heart more susceptible to illnesses due to the level of energy it uses to function.

Neuropathy

Statin patients are at risk of nerve damage after taking the drugs for a long time. In most cases, the damage is often irreversible even after the patient stopped taking the drugs.

Polyneuropathy is another neurological problem that patients often complain about. People who develop polyneuropathy experience tingling as well as pain in the hands and feet, weakness, and difficulty walking.

The worst part is that the likelihood of the illness getting worse increases to 9% after a year of using the drug and up to 15% following a two-year intake.

Cancer

A significant number of studies with statins and rodents always resulted in cancer. The problem is, such possibility was not linked to humans because statin trials only go on for up to three years. Even with the fact that cancer takes some time to develop.

However, manufacturers do recognize that statin drugs weaken the immune system, which unfortunately may result in infectious disease and cancer. Still, they recommend its use for transplant patients to act as an immune suppressor, and for inflammatory arthritis.

Type II Diabetes

Statins were made and introduced as an attempt to help protect and improve heart health. However, case studies show that the only thing these drugs do is worsen the patient’s condition.

One good example of that is obesity, which users tend to develop after they begin a statin treatment due to the drugs’ gluttony effect.

Second to that, statin users become highly at risk of developing Type II diabetes. Studies showed that statin users become prone to developing long-term complications related to Type II diabetes. Some of which are eye disease, peripheral nerve disease, and kidney disease.

All these dangers of statins only prove that these drugs may help patients at some point, but it does not take long before something goes wrong.

Science has long explained that cholesterol is not the reason behind the development of heart disease. In fact, cholesterol is essential to human health while lack of exercise, poor eating habits, and obesity are more likely the direct causes of such illness.

To conclude, intake of cholesterol-lowering drugs will not help if you do not support it with lifestyle and dietary changes. If you want to regulate your cholesterol and keep your heart in the best condition, you only need to include a few simple things in your lifestyle.

Perform brisk walking or aerobic exercise at least 30 minutes a day five times a week. Add lecithin-rich foods and herbs in your diet, and eat plenty of heart-healthy foods, like omega-3 fats.

Remember, you can always consult with a healthcare practitioner to improve your heart health naturally if you want to avoid the dangers of statins.

Sources: Dr Hyman, Care2, The Alternative Daily, and The Weston A Price Foundation.

 

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Amy Goodrich
Amy is a life and food lover, certified biologist, and holistic health coach. She is the founder of the healthy lifestyle website www.Body-in-Balance.org and creator of the online program, www.ThinForever.me. After successfully changing her family’s health and happiness, she’s on a mission to help other people achieve the life and body they want. You can find here on Facebook or Google+ or get her free clean, whole food recipe eBook here: http://www.body-in-balance.org/amys-home-kitchen-recipe-book/