High Cholesterol Support Group
High cholesterol is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is not a disease but a metabolic derangement that can be secondary to many diseases and can contribute to many forms of disease, most notably cardiovascular disease. If you have high cholesterol, join the community to find support and share your experience.
On Nov. 12th 2013 the new cholesterol guidelines were issued.
Over 10 years ago, when the old guidelines were issued, they stressed the importance of lowering LDL to prevent heart attacks and strokes. It was advised to keep LDL below 130. For high risk patients they advised LDL below 100, preferably down to 70.
The public were prescribed statins and tolerated disturbing side effects to achieve these numbers. All in hopes of preventing a heart attack.
It didn't work. People with low LDL still had heart attacks.
NOW with the new 2013 guidelines they are telling us "We have abandoned LDL targets, and statins are in order only if your LDL is above 190.
How does this make YOU feel? Do you feel misled? If not you should.
Did you spend your money chasing LDL down? Did you suffer muscle pain and weakness that interfered with your daily routine?
Several years ago I posted on this site that the LDL "Bad" cholesterol was complete Bunk. Finally the medical community has come to terms pushing LDL down to record low numbers is pointless, and even does damage.
LDL gives us life! Nature placed it in our bodies for a beneficial purpose.
Over 10 years ago, when the old guidelines were issued, they stressed the importance of lowering LDL to prevent heart attacks and strokes. It was advised to keep LDL below 130. For high risk patients they advised LDL below 100, preferably down to 70.
The public were prescribed statins and tolerated disturbing side effects to achieve these numbers. All in hopes of preventing a heart attack.
It didn't work. People with low LDL still had heart attacks.
NOW with the new 2013 guidelines they are telling us "We have abandoned LDL targets, and statins are in order only if your LDL is above 190.
How does this make YOU feel? Do you feel misled? If not you should.
Did you spend your money chasing LDL down? Did you suffer muscle pain and weakness that interfered with your daily routine?
Several years ago I posted on this site that the LDL "Bad" cholesterol was complete Bunk. Finally the medical community has come to terms pushing LDL down to record low numbers is pointless, and even does damage.
LDL gives us life! Nature placed it in our bodies for a beneficial purpose.
But then theyturn around and contradict themselves by writing guidelines which will double the number of Americans on Statins!
If that doesn't raise a red flag, nothing does. Now THIS is slick marketing. Double your sales.
How do YOU feel about new guidelines that will double the amount Americans on statins?
There has been a string a failures in cholesterol drug trails over the last 10 years. Some of them very spectacular failures that left the experts speechless.
A new class of cholesterol drug failed. It raised the "good" cholesterol, and lowered the "Bad" cholesterol producing a wonderful lab report. But one problem. It was killing people.
Niaspan, the popular cholesterol drug did very well when its maker sponsored trials of the drug. But when the gov't did independent studies the drug failed to protect people from heart attack and stroke, and even placed them at higher risk.
What we have learned that artificially changing cholesterol levels may produce a wonderful lab report, BUT this does not mean we have reduced our risk of a heart attack.
A cardiologist from the University of Colorado said it best. "Being short is a risk factor, but wearing high heals is not going to reduce your risk."
This past 10 years LDL has been portrayed as a demon. But i tell you it is essential to life. 70% of first time heart attacks happen to people with perfectly normal LDL.
Cholesterol is the gift of life. That's why there is so much cholesterol in an egg. Its there to create and give life to the new chick.
Cholesterol is the gift of life. That's why our bodies produce LDL cholesterol. Its there to keep our bodies functioning at 100%.
Cholesterol is a natural produce of the body, so it is needed, just talk to an OB but like just about everything there are limits. There are SO many factors involved that isolating one or even two can be so dangerous. Better we educate ourselves for a number of sources because the truth often lies in-between.
Concerning Saturated fat and serum cholesterol levels and risk of developing heart disease, the relationship never really existed in the real world.
It was a theory. It sounded very good. Higher levels of this fat clogging up our arteries like pouring grease down a sink.
Understandably the public bought into it and it became accepted as the gospel truth. The public never noticed it was never proven.
Essentially everybody forgot it was just a theory.
But with this public acceptance a NEW MARKET was born. Lowering cholesterol. Everyone wanted to get rid of this new demon called cholesterol.
The new game was to lower your cholesterol to prevent heart attacks and strokes, despite the fact it had never been scientifically proven, our wonderful politicians and opinion leaders said we must do this.
Meanwhile medical science is unable to prove a connection between serum cholesterol and getting heart disease. However these findings went ignored in favor of appealing to the new market, lowering cholesterol.
The market grew and grew. Statins were invented and the hottest selling drug of all time, Lipitor, broke sales records and raked in record income. Not only did lipitor make money for the drug company, but it made money for TV ad sales, print ad sales, and lets not forget the medical labs who do cholesterol tests. They are making a killing off these labs.
It became an economy of its own, and don't anyone in the industry even think of questioning it or you will be out of a job!
Some who did speak up did lose their jobs.
Imagine if the pick pocket could do that everyday to millions of people....
....everyday for the rest of their lives.
Starting to sound familiar?
The world's best pick pocket strikes, playing on people's desire for an easy way to lose weight. We hand the pick pocket our money for worthless pills with miracle claims.
Meanwhile Statin drugs are touted as "Miracle drugs saving millions."
Finally an easy way to beat heart disease! Just take this pill everyday for the rest of your life!
By now if your BS meter isn't pointing to the red zone, it needs new batteries.
Thanks in advance
Cajunboy