Lowering Cholesterol May Not Reduce Arterial Plaque
Lowering your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol with statin drugs may not reduce the rate at which plaque builds up in the arteries surrounding the heart, according to a study.
Researchers concluded that the commonly held belief that lower cholesterol is better does not extend to the reversal of calcified plaque progression.
American Journal of Cardiology August 1, 2003;92(3):334-6
Dr. Mercola’s Comment:
And you almost believed the commercials and ads saying that cholesterol drugs offer heart disease protection. Well, as this study shows the rate at which plaque builds up in the arteries surrounding the heart seems to be unaffected by how much LDL (“bad”) cholesterol is lowered using statin drugs like Zocor or Lipitor.
What many people don’t realize is that statins kill people–lots of people–and they wound many, many more. All patients taking statins become depleted in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) eventually–those patients who start with relatively low CoQ10 levels (the elderly and patients with heart failure) begin to manifest signs/symptoms of CoQ10 deficiency relatively rapidly–in six to 12 months. Younger patients can tolerate the statins for several years before they begin developing symptoms.