Brain and Behaviour
Many years ago I was having dinner with a friend who was, herself, a young hospital doctor specialising in ‘care of the elderly’ (what used to be called ‘geriatrics’). She worked in a busy department, and lamented the fact that so many elderly people were suffering from what she believed to be the adverse effects […]
Cholesterol and Statins
The idea that cholesterol causes cardiovascular disease comes from studies which find that higher cholesterol levels are linked with raised risk of heart disease and stroke. However, it’s important to bear in mind that such studies are ‘epidemiological’ (also termed ‘observational’) in nature, which means we cannot infer from them that cholesterol causes heart disease […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Good communication is, I think, the bedrock of a good relationship between a doctor and a patient. One thing that frustrates some doctors is when their patients do not take their advice. A major gripe can be the failure to take medications as prescribed. In a recent study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, […]
Cholesterol and Statins
I had an email recently from a journalist friend of mine this week which included a communication he’d had from a reader. The reader had been refused health insurance on the basis of his ‘raised’ cholesterol. It was suggested to him that he would be eligible for insurance once his cholesterol ‘problem’ was ‘under control’. […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Statins are drugs that reduce cholesterol by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver known as ‘HMG-CoA reductase’ which ‘drives’ cholesterol production (most of the cholesterol in the bloodstream is made in the liver and does not come directly from the diet). But HMG-CoA reductase also facilitates the production of a substance known as ‘coenzyme Q10’ […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Ezetimibe is an effective cholesterol-reducing drug (it works by blocking cholesterol absorption from the gut). I came across a study this week from a group of researchers based in Michigan in the US which concluded that ezetimibe appeared to have a ‘protective effect on major AD [atherosclerotic disease] events and all-cause mortality…’ [1]. In other […]
Cholesterol and Statins
I rarely meet someone who has not heard of cholesterol and does not believe it to be a largely dangerous substance. And increasing number of people seem to be aware of the conventional wisdom regarding the different forms of cholesterol, specifically low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Actually, these names […]
Cholesterol and Statins
The preoccupation the medical and scientific communities have with cholesterol have convinced many of us, doctors included, that ‘cholesterol is bad’ so ‘cholesterol reduction is good’. But, as I’ve pointed out before, even if cholesterol does jeopardise health, the fact that something reduces cholesterol does not make it inherently healthy. Even if arsenic and cyanide […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Aspartame and cancer, flu vaccination and ask me what my cholesterol level is.
Cholesterol and Statins
In my practice and through other work that I do I encounter a steady stream of men who are ‘concerned’ about their cholesterol. These men have turned up a ‘raised’ cholesterol on routine screening, Their doctor may have suggested that they swap cholesterol-reducing margarine for butter and cut back on cheese, eggs and red meat. […]