Cholesterol and Statins

Goonergal

Goonergal

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zand said:
I have always been anti statin. The arguments against them have been clear in my mind.

However, I recently chatted to a friend who said she had been breathless a while back and after investigations was told she had a partial blockage in one ventricle (?) to the heart. She was prescribed statins and now isn't breathless. Another friend confirmed this had happened with her husband too.

So how has this worked? I thought cholesterol was nothing to do with the plaque that furs up our veins/arteries.

I noticed that when I did a liver flush there were some greeny, metallic looking, hard stones being released and these are usually said to be cholesterol stones, not the usual gallstones. So does cholesterol actually block our arteries?

Confused now as my friend's anecdotal evidence doesn't seem to fit what I previously thought of as the truth.
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Perhaps the breathlessness wasn’t due to arterial plaque?

Some practitioners are using statins as part of their protocols to treat long Covid, so there are clearly some other possible uses for them.

Personally I’d take a lot of convincing to take them for any reason but I’ve heard anecdotally that small doses have been helpful for some with long Covid,
 
bulkbiker

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zand said:
I have always been anti statin. The arguments against them have been clear in my mind.

However, I recently chatted to a friend who said she had been breathless a while back and after investigations was told she had a partial blockage in one ventricle (?) to the heart. She was prescribed statins and now isn't breathless. Another friend confirmed this had happened with her husband too.
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Is she claiming that after statins her ventricle has "cleared" or was something else done?

Not sure that even the statin makers claim they can clear blockages?
 
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zand

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No other treatment was given. And this happened pre covid pandemic.

I tend to agree with you @Goonergal and @bulkbiker . Even the statin makers don't claim that..though if they are reading this they probably will soon!

I wouldn't take them as a precaution but might if I had heart problems again and I was given a good explanation as to how they would help me. But I know that cholesterol is there for a purpose and wouldn't want mine artificially lowered without an extremely good reason
 
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ianf0ster

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bulkbiker said:
Recent blood test results are back.. HbA1c 30.1 mmol/mol same as last time
Cholesterol up from 8.2 to 8.9..
Just had call from surgery and apparently I should expect a call from the "Pharmacist" to increase my medication.

Could be an interesting call.. will update post 27th June!
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Increase what medication? You don't take anything for those and you don't need anything either.(assuming your lipid ratios are still good).
 
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bulkbiker

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ianf0ster said:
Increase what medication? You don't take anything for those and you don't need anything either.(assuming your lipid ratios are still good).
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My thoughts exactly.. guess the receptionist wasn't very clued up either..
 
bulkbiker

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Oldvatr said:
Unable to read this information. I choose not to have a twitter account on principle, so cannot access. What are the credentials of the author and have they published this info in formal context rather than in a blog.
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Marion has done a huge amount of research into statins.. and the harms they can do.

And no.

But some of her other twitter threads are listed here

https://threadreaderapp.com/user/holmanm

All usually worthy of a read.

Twitter is great for the ability to access people first hand by the way. Publication can take months/years.
 
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Oldvatr

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bulkbiker said:
Marion has done a huge amount of research into statins.. and the harms they can do.

And no.

But some of her other twitter threads are listed here

https://threadreaderapp.com/user/holmanm

All usually worthy of a read.

Twitter is great for the ability to access people first hand by the way. Publication can take months/years.
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Apparently Marion is a follower of Uffe Ravnskov who has very strange scientific approach to this topic and appears to have not been corroborated by independent research. This may be a rabbit hole IMO. She also has an Instagram and a Nitter account and is mentioned on the Ketoscience website. She has posted the twitter info in your post on Pinterest and Facebook too.

I presume Marion is female, but could equally be male (Marion was John Wayne's real name)
 
Oldvatr

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I prefer evidence such as this paper which establishes no link between LDL levels, their reduction by statin, and the incidence of CVE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16786236/
There are other such studies with similar outcomes, so in essence it shows that it is not necessary to take a statin. That is a better argument IMO than claiming that the microfungus used to make statins is linked to chembio weapons. I noted this in the twitter feed and it amuses me since the same fungi are used to make Quorn and fake meat products. Same family of fungi, and yes there are some black sheep in that family that are toxic.
 
Oldvatr

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bulkbiker said:
Which then gives a very valid reason to avoid those products as well?
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I don't eat them. And I would not promote them as being healthy. Or even tasty. Tatty maybe? I have not tried them on my cat yet, but I suspect he would vote with his feet (all 4 of them)
 
Bogie

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Playing Devil's Advocate:

Besides the possible psychological affect of using statins (thinking that you can eat anything and it won't raise your cholesterol levels - despite many studies and research that contradicts or challenges the affects of cholesterol on the heart and the use of statins), what other negatives are associated with statins?

Here, in Canada, it seems that as soon as diagnosed with T2 you are routinely prescribed Metformin, Jardiance, or a similar med, plus Perindopril (or similar blood pressure med), and a statin (like Rosuvastatin). In my case, despite no high blood pressure, or any history of it, or abnormal cholesterol levels. Advice being that BP meds and statins are precautionary due to being a Diabetic.
 
bulkbiker

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Bogie said:
Playing Devil's Advocate:

Besides the possible psychological affect of using statins (thinking that you can eat anything and it won't raise your cholesterol levels - despite many studies and research that contradicts or challenges the affects of cholesterol on the heart and the use of statins), what other negatives are associated with statins?

Here, in Canada, it seems that as soon as diagnosed with T2 you are routinely prescribed Metformin, Jardiance, or a similar med, plus Perindopril (or similar blood pressure med), and a statin (like Rosuvastatin). In my case, despite no high blood pressure, or any history of it, or abnormal cholesterol levels. Advice being that BP meds and statins are precautionary due to being a Diabetic.
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In my humble view medicating people unnecessarily for something that they are little to no risk from is malpractice.
Whether it's medication or any other procedure. Usually at the root there is a financial incentive which makes it even worse.

Many doctors appear to have forgotten their oath of "first do no harm", especially as all drugs come with the risk of side effects.
 
Oldvatr

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Bogie said:
Playing Devil's Advocate:

Besides the possible psychological affect of using statins (thinking that you can eat anything and it won't raise your cholesterol levels - despite many studies and research that contradicts or challenges the affects of cholesterol on the heart and the use of statins), what other negatives are associated with statins?

Here, in Canada, it seems that as soon as diagnosed with T2 you are routinely prescribed Metformin, Jardiance, or a similar med, plus Perindopril (or similar blood pressure med), and a statin (like Rosuvastatin). In my case, despite no high blood pressure, or any history of it, or abnormal cholesterol levels. Advice being that BP meds and statins are precautionary due to being a Diabetic.
Click to expand...
In which case we should all be prescribed iodine tabletes just in case someone detonates a nuclear device near us. And carry a packet of prophylactics around to reduce the chance of picking up HIV,
 
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