Cholesterol and Statins
I am not particularly enthusiastic about cholesterol management. I don’t believe that the role cholesterol has in cardiovascular disease is as is popularly stated. But more importantly, when we use drugs to manage cholesterol the results are, by and large, disappointing. For example, treatment with statins does not save lives in people without a prior […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Someone recently sent me a link to this report of a study which warns us of the supposed perils of eating eggs. The study on which the report is based [1] looked at the association between the amount of egg yolks people ate and the amount of ‘atherosclerotic plaque’ in the main arteries supplying blood to […]
Cholesterol and Statins
‘JUPITER’ is the name given to a study which tested the effectiveness of the statin drug rosuvastatin (Crestor). The effects of rosuvastatin were compared with placebo in a large group of individuals free from a history of cardiovascular disease (such as previous heart attack or stroke) [1]. Testing in this setting (what is known as […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Last year saw the Japan Society for Lipid Nutrition hold its 20th annual meeting. A panel discussion during the event was held entitled ‘Rethinking Cholesterol Issues’. Recently, the Journal of Lipid Nutrition published an account of that panel discussion [1], and it makes for interesting reading. The panel was made up of six experts from […]
Cholesterol and Statins
The Cholesterol Treatment Trialists (CTT) Collaboration is UK-based collection of doctors and researchers who, on the whole, push for aggressive treatment of cholesterol to low levels. I don’t think it would misrepresent the CTT’s view that, as far as supposedly unhealthy ‘LDL-cholesterol’ levels are concerned, ‘the lower the better’ for individuals deemed to be at […]
Children's Health
Back in November 2011, a panel of experts assembled by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in the US published recommendations regarding cholesterol screening in children. The panel recommended that all children aged 9-11 should be screened, and that more targeted testing (in those deemed to be at high risk) should be used […]
Cholesterol and Statins
There’s been a ton of press over the last couple of days regarding a study of what is termed the ‘polypill’ – a combination medication conceived more than a decade ago with, supposedly, the prevention of heart disease and stroke in mind. The original ‘formulation’ combined blood pressure- and cholesterol-lowering medications, along with aspirin and […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Statins are a runaway success in modern medicine, though it should perhaps be borne in mind that for the great majority of people who take them, they do nothing to prevent disease or delay death. Plus, there is growing awareness that these drugs are not without risk, and have genuine potential to cause adverse effects […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Statins reduce cholesterol, and this is said to be the primary mechanism through which they reduce the risk of ‘cardiovascular’ events such as heart attacks and strokes. When used in clinical practice, statins can be given to people with or without prior history of cardiovascular disease. Giving statins to people with a history of cardiovascular […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Statin drugs reduce cholesterol by inhibiting the an enzyme in the liver (HMG-CoA reductase) which plays a role in the production of cholesterol in the liver. Unfortunately, this enzyme also plays a part in the production of a substance known as Coenzyme Q10, which itself is important for energy production within the body’s cells. Statins […]