Cholesterol-lowering drugs

Email this page to a friend

Want news about Cholesterol-lowering drugs and more e-mailed to you? Click here for free email alerts

PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition Thomson Healthcare, Inc. See book keywords and concepts

ATORVASTATIN CALCIUM Bitter Melon (Bitter melon may potentiate cholesterol-lowering drugs) ATROPA BELLADONNA (See under Belladonna) AZATADINE MALEATE Mangosteen (G. mangostana may possibly be unsafe when used by patients taking antihistamines) AZATHIOPRINE Alfalfa (May precipitate organ transplant rejection) BAOBAB (None cited in PDR database) BARBITURATES Hops (May increase sedative action) Kava Kava (May increase CNS depression) Marijuana (Excessive CNS depression) Rauwolfia (Synergistic effect) St.

You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore Bill Sardi See book keywords and concepts

Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 287: 96-108, 1987; Surgery 91:631-7, 1982] A deficiency of CoQIO has been described in aging and cancer and when statin cholesterol-lowering drugs are employed. [J Am Coll Nutr 20: 591-98, 2001] For example, CoQIO levels in tissue of breast cancer patients are significantly decreased compared to surrounding tissues. [Clinical Biochemistry 33: 279-84, 2000] Breast cancer patients are more likely to exhibit low CoQl 0 levels than are healthy people.

Mol Aspects Med 15: 231-40S, 1994] Statin cholesterol-lowering drugs are known to deplete the body of CoQl 0. Thus, it would be of interest to investigate whether cancer rates are higher among statin drug users. Surprisingly, some studies champion statin drugs as novel anti-cancer agents. [Clin Cancer Res 7:2067-75, 2001] Over a five-year period, one study did not confirm any association between statin drugs and the risk of cancer. [American Journal Medicine 15;110: 716-23, 2001] But other disturbing studies do confirm a relationship between statin drug use and breast and prostate cancer.

Bottom Line's Health Breakthroughs 2007 Bottom Line Health See book keywords and concepts

Many of the doctors on that panel had served as paid speakers, consultants or researchers for the large pharmaceutical companies that manufacture cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins. It's not surprising that high cholesterol has become an obsessive concern for everyone. We all know our "numbers," but high cholesterol isn't an illness. It's just one of many risk factors for a future illness—heart disease.

The remaining industrialized countries feel that assessment of the scientific information about prescription drug treatment should be left to doctors, who should work in partnership with each patient to determine optimal medical care based on his/her individual situation. Are cholesterol-lowering drugs Right for You? Jay S. Cohen, MD, adjunct associate professor of family and preventive medicine and of psychiatry, University of California, San Diego. He is author of What You Must Know About Statin Drugs & Their Natural Alternatives. Square One. www.medicationsense.com.

Although statins have fewer side effects than other cholesterol-lowering drugs, an estimated 15% to 30% of the people taking them experience abdominal discomfort, muscle or joint pain, muscle weakness and/or memory problems. More serious side effects occur in 1% to 2% of statin users, whose liver enzymes rise—a warning of possible liver damage if uncorrected. Rhahdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle tissue, is an extremely rare side effect but can be fatal. Approximately one in 2,000 long-term (more than five years) statin users develops a painful nerve condition known as peripheral neuropathy.

Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer Shannon Brownlee See book keywords and concepts

Does everybody with slightly elevated cholesterol really need to take high doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs? These questions represent a microscopic fraction of the mysteries that remain in medicine. The Institute of Medicine estimates that only 4 percent of treatments and tests are backed up by strong scientific evidence; more than half have very weak evidence or none.

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. See book keywords and concepts

Drugs that are affected include allergy medication (like Allegra), congestive heart failure medication (like Digoxin), blood pressure medicines and/or calcium channel blockers (like Cozaar, Plendil, Procardia, and Sular), epilepsy drugs (like Carbatrol and Tegretol), and cholesterol-lowering drugs (like Mevacor, Zocar, and Lipitor), but there are probably tons more, so if your med isn't on that list, don't take a chance.

Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You Andreas Moritz See book keywords and concepts

The problem with the new statin drugs is that they don't cause immediate side effects like the older cholesterol-lowering drugs did. The old cholesterol-reducing drugs prevented its absorption from the gut, which led to nausea, indigestion and constipation. But their success rate was minimal and patient compliance was very low. The new statin drugs became an overnight success story because they were able to lower cholesterol levels by 50 points or more with no immediately known major side effects.

PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition Thomson Healthcare, Inc. See book keywords and concepts

PREDNISONE Alfalfa (May reduce effectiveness of prednisone) PROBUCOL Bitter Melon (Bitter melon may potentiate cholesterol-lowering drugs) PROCAINAMIDE Henbane (Increased anticholinergic action) PROCAINAMIDE HYDROCHLORIDE Kudzu (P. lobata may interfere with antiarrhythmic agents) PROCARBAZINE HYDROCHLORIDE 5-HTP (Concurrent use may result in an increased risk of serotonin syndrome (hypertension, hyperthermia, myoclonus, mental status change)) PROGESTERONE Red Clover (Decreased effectiveness of progesterone) PROMETHAZINE HYDROCHLORIDE Mangosteen (G.

LOVASTATIN Bitter Melon (Bitter melon may potentiate cholesterol-lowering drugs) LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT HEPARINS Arnica (Increased risk of bleeding) Dong Quai (Increased risk of bleeding) Garlic (Increased risk of bleeding) Ginger (Increased risk of bleeding) Ginkgo (Increased risk of bleeding) Kava Kava (May increase risk of bleeding) Licorice (May increase risk of bleeding) Mangosteen (G.

FLUVASTATIN SODIUM Bitter Melon (Bitter melon may potentiate cholesterol-lowering drugs) FLUVOXAMINE MALEATE 5-HTP (Concurrent use may result in an increased risk of serotonin syndrome (hypertension, hyperthermia, myoclonus, mental status change); combining 5-HTP with SSRIs may increase the risk of serotonergic side effects) Mangosteen (G. mangostana may possibly be unsafe when used by patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) FONDAPARINUX SODIUM Mangosteen (G. mangostana may possibly be unsafe when used by patients taking anticoagulants) FOSINOPRIL SODIUM Kudzu (P.

What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You Ray D. Strand See book keywords and concepts

Yet the negative press that has come from these marginal findings has led the overwhelming majority of doctors to quickly claim that taking vitamin E with their prescription cholesterol-lowering drugs blocks the beneficial effects of their drugs. Physicians tend to ignore the hundreds of studies that show significant health benefits of nutritional supplements not only with heart disease but with all of the chronic degenerative diseases. As you have learned throughout this book, heart disease is not a disease of cholesterol but rather an inflammatory disease of the artery.

PDR for Herbal Medicines, Fourth Edition Thomson Healthcare, Inc. See book keywords and concepts

FENOFIBRATE Bitter Melon (Bitter melon may potentiate cholesterol-lowering drugs) FENUGREEK Hypoglycemic Drugs (Herb may have an additive hypoglycemic effect when taken with other hypoglycemic drugs) FEVERFEW Aspirin (Increased antithrombotic effect) Warfarin Sodium (Increased antithrombotic effect) FEXOFENADINE HYDROCHLORIDE Mangosteen (G.

SIL YBUM MARIAMUM (See under Milk Thistle) SIMVASTATIN Bitter Melon (Bitter melon may potentiate cholesterol-lowering drugs) SIROLIMUS St. John's Wort (May result in sub-therapeutic sirolimus levels resulting in possible transplant rejection) SITAGLIPTIN PHOSPHATE Bitter Melon (Concurrent use may result in an increased risk of hypoglycemia) Kudzu (P. lobata may lower blood glucose levels) SKELETAL MUSCLE RELAXANTS Kava Kava (May increase sedative effects and CNS depression) SLIPPERY ELM Iron (Reduced absorption of iron) SODIUM NITROPRUSSIDE Kudzu (P.

Bottom Line's Health Breakthroughs 2007 Bottom Line Health See book keywords and concepts

This class of cholesterol-lowering drugs appears to reduce stroke risk by approximately 25%, even in people who have normal cholesterol. Side effects can include muscle pain, nausea and diarrhea or constipation. •If you smoke, quit. Smokers are several times more likely than nonsmokers to have a stroke. Within 10 years of quitting smoking, the risk of having a stroke is almost the same as for someone who has never smoked. SCREENING People who have had a TIA or stroke require a number of screening tests to identify the type of stroke and where in the brain it occurred.

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine reported on a study in which massive doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs were used to reduce total cholesterol well below 150 mg/dL. Three out of four of the heart patients involved seem to do very well under this regimen. But it was not a complete success. Even with their cholesterol levels satisfactorily reduced, one out of every four of the patients in the study sustained a new cardiovascular event or died within two and a half years of starting this treatment.

Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine: Alternative Therapies and Integrative Medicine for Total Health and Wellness Tori Hudson, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

Dean Ornish's landmark study, called the Lifestyle Heart Trial, published in 1990, found that lifestyle changes (a low-fat vegetarian diet, moderate aerobic exercise, stress management, smoking cessation, and group support)35 changed serum lipids as much as cholesterol-lowering drugs. After one year in the program, patients also showed significant overall regression of their coronary atherosclerosis. These results have been replicated in several recent studies.

The Food-Mood Solution: All-Natural Ways to Banish Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Stress, Overeating, and Alcohol and Drug Problems--and Feel Good Again Jack Challem See book keywords and concepts

Oral contraceptives, analgesics, and cholesterol-lowering drugs also hinder a variety of normal biochemical processes that impact both the brain and the body. All of these drugs further compromise our neuronutrients. Side effects are often a result of how certain drugs prevent nutrients from working normally.

Sugar Shock!: How Sweets and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life-- and How YouCan Get Back on Track Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Tragically, despite the studies showing the downside of cholesterol-lowering drugs, the medical community, including cardiologists nationwide, have concentrated on the alleged wonders of lowering cholesterol and continue to ignore the relationship between high blood sugar, insulin surges, and heart disease. Excess Insulin Hurts Your Heart Today, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. But did you know that 60 percent or more of those people with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance develop some form of heart disease?

The newer cholesterol-lowering drugs (i.e., statins) not only lower cholesterol but also lower inflammatory mediators in the body. And since we know that chronic relentless inflammation causes arteries to be on fire, controlling cholesterol by either lowering oxidized LDL or raising HDL will be advantageous. I still recommend statins as part of my plaque reversal plan in patients with documented coronary artery disease. My grievance is when we aggressively treat high cholesterol numbers and not patients, and when we overprescribe these drugs for healthy people, especially women.

Years ago, in the early 1980s, when cholesterol-lowering drugs first hit the mass market, studies found an increase in suicides, homicides, and automobile accidents. But those results were somehow overlooked in the rush to prescribe these "wonder" meds. At the 2005 American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), I attended a lecture by a prominent cardiologist, Dr.

In fact, millions of people in this country are on cholesterol-lowering drugs, but frankly, I don't think they need it. A look at my youth and medical training will help you to understand how I arrived at my conclusions about sugar's role in heart disease and other illnesses. My Awareness of Sugar's Dangers and Diabetes Began in Childhood As a young child, I first began to witness the dangers of too much sugar and wide blood sugar fluctuations.

Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You Andreas Moritz See book keywords and concepts

Red yeast rice, for example, known to be a safe and effective alternative to cholesterol-lowering drugs, was banned by the FDA in 2001. • One in five patients is completely misdiagnosed by his doctor, who writes prescriptions for health problems the patient does not have. • Up to 20 percent of all prescriptions given in hospitals could be just plain wrong, causing severe side effects, for which treatment is required with more prescriptions. The Contraceptive Pill: Catastrophic Risks... In the United States alone, about 15 million women are taking the contraceptive pill.

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. See book keywords and concepts

By adhering to the nutrition program and using cholesterol-lowering drugs, they were able to reduce that group average to 137 mg/dL, cutting their cholesterol levels nearly in half. This is the most profound drop in cholesterol levels in such a study that I have been able to find in the medical literature, discounting recent studies using megadoses of statin. Twelve years after joining the program, every one of the participants averaged total cholesterol below 150 mg/dL, the stated goal of the study.

Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You Andreas Moritz See book keywords and concepts

They include antibiotics, anti-depressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, blood pressure medications, cholesterol-lowering drugs, estrogen, and tranquilizers. Any of these drugs can strip valuable vitamins and minerals from the body. When two or more of these drugs are combined— especially in an older patient—the risk of developing anemia rises almost exponentially. Anemia is a serious condition that can dramatically increase mortality risk for patients with chronic health problems, such as heart disease and cancer. Many doctors and patients underestimate the risks associated with anemia.

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. See book keywords and concepts

And although some patients may need cholesterol-lowering drugs to help them achieve those safe, low cholesterol levels, drugs alone are not the answer. Nutrition is the real key to saving your life in the long term. Eating the right way not only will help reduce your cholesterol levels, but also can work additional wonders you may never have imagined.

My research shows that this entire process is preventable—and that through nutrition (plus, in some cases, low doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs) the risk of heart attack and heart failure can be eliminated. Scientists and physicians have been slow to recognize the connection between nutrition and coronary disease. In part, that's because the development of the disease is not like, say, a bee sting, in which the relationship between cause and effect is quite obvious. It may require decades of self-injury from a high-fat diet before clinical symptoms develop.

Immediately, Joe embarked on my nutrition program, refusing to take any cholesterol-lowering drugs, and he redefined the word commitment. He stuck to the plan rigorously, eventually reducing his total blood cholesterol count to just 89 mg/dL and cutting his LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, from 98 mg/dL to 38 mg/dL. About two and a half years after Joe adopted a strict plant-based diet, there came a point when he was exceptionally busy professionally, under considerable stress, and he noted a return of some discomfort in his chest.

My own preference is one of the statin cholesterol-lowering drugs, which should be started when you begin the nutrition program. Together, the drug and your new way of eating will usually reduce your total cholesterol level to less than 150 mg/dL in just fourteen days. With the help of your physician, you should monitor your progress over the first two months.

page 1 of 9 | Next ->

FAIR USE NOTICE: The research quoted here is provided under the protection of Fair Use provisions and published by the 501(c)3 non-profit Consumer Wellness Center for the purposes of public comment and education. Authors / publishers may submit books for consideration of inclusion here.

TERMS OF USE: Read full terms of use. Citations of text from NaturalPedia must include: 1) Full credit to the original author and book title. 2) Secondary credit to the Natural News Naturalpedia as a research resource and a link to www.NaturalNews.com/np/index.html

This unique compilation of research is copyright (c) 2008 by the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center.

ABOUT THE CREATOR OF NATURALPEDIA: Mike Adams, the creator of this NaturalNews Naturalpedia, is the editor of NaturalNews.com, the internet's top natural health news site, creator of the Honest Food Guide (www.HonestFoodGuide.org), a free downloadable consumer food guide based on natural health principles, author of Grocery Warning, The 7 Laws of Nutrition, Natural Health Solutions, and many other books available at www.TruthPublishing.com, creator of the earth-friendly EcoLEDs company (www.EcoLEDs.com) that manufactures energy-efficient LED lighting products, founder of Arial Software (www.ArialSoftware.com), a permission e-mail technology company, creator of the CounterThink Cartoon series (www.NaturalNews.com/index-cartoons.html) and author of over 1,500 articles, interviews, special reports and reference guides available at www.NaturalNews.com. Adams' personal philosophy and health statistics are available at www.HealthRanger.org.