Dear G,
If “Heart Frauds” has got you thinking it has done its job. Conventional thinking about cardiovascular disease is upside down at present. As you will have seen from chapters 5 and 6 the cholesterol theory is totally mistaken and lower cholesterol equates to lower life expectancy. You should urgently review your use of statins, which primarily lower cholesterol. Cholesterol is good and vital to health, rather it is oxidation of LDL cholesterol by free radicals that causes blockage in the veins and arteries and is so harmful. Don’t avoid cholesterol, avoid the causes of oxidation of cholesterol.
Apart from being pointless for most people statins also have many adverse effects. Even the previously orthodox “Times” on 15th July carried an article reporting, “Over the same period, evidence shows that one person in40 on the drugs [statins] will develop a statin-induced cataract, around one in 100 will have liver problems, and one in 400 will develop kidney failure. Other side effects include a raised rosk of diabetes, acute muscle aches, fatigue, depression and erectile dysfunction.” Next to it was an article on Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) quoting Dr Peter Langsjoen, cardiologist/fellow of American College of Cardiology, “Statins are a potent poison that block rather than enhance the bodiy’s cellular processes and have other side-effects such as memory loss and muscle weakness. There is no evidence statins have any benefit on mortality rates for women or for anybody over the age of 65. My hope is that, as more evidence emerges, people will ask themselves: ‘Why am I taking this expensive pill?’ and take CoQ10 instead.”
One of the main contributors to inflammation damage in the arteries is Lipoprotein(a) (LP(a)). It is a natural repair element in the body, but when inflammation develops it can overwhelm natural healing mechanisms. Dr Sinatra et al., write in “Reverse Heart Disease Now” (page 41): “Unfortunately, most cardiologists do not test for Lp(a). Most patients who see us for recurrent or inoperable angina have an elevated (and previously unrecognized) Lp(a) level. This explains why their bypass grafts close down and why their arteries renarrow following angioplasty. Studies show a connection between high Lp(a) and poor outcomes following bypass surgery or angioplasty, and continued problems among individuals with unstable angina and a background of heart attack.” Dr Sinatra et al. note, “Moreover, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs compound the problem. They may increase Lp(a).”
So statins increase Lp(a) and block co-enzyme Q10 as sadly does advancing age. Dr Loius Ignarro (one of the Nobel Laureates for his work on L-arginine) writes, “Research points to the use of CoQ10 as a supplement for the treatment of such heart problems as: Angina pectoris (heart pain)….” (NO More Heart Disease” pp 211-212).
In you shoes I should consider ditching the statins, I should take at least 4 scoops and probably 6 of Pink Drink per day (an hour away from protein intake – + at least one scoop before tennis and say another in your water), a large amount of CoQ10 supplements (Ark2 + maybe some cheap ones as well) and take large doses of high quality vitamin C (with bioflavonoid) and I mean about up to 10,000 mg per day. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and it combats excess Lp(a).
For your further delectation I attach my latest monograph on Arginine.
Lunch would be lovely – Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are good for me.
Best wishes,
Charles