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My Statin Free Life
США
Добавлен 26 ноя 2022
This channel is dedicated to providing a layman's understanding of statin medications, their pros and cons, and my personal experience with them.
My hope is to offer hope to people who find the adverse effects intolerable and to assure them that the adverse effects are very real. Those of us who experience them are often stigmatized as being "statin deniers."
Please note that this is NOT medical advice and you should always consult with your own personal physician when it comes to whether or not you should be taking any medication, including statins.
Statins are a class of drugs that lower blood serum cholesterol by interfering with the normal function of your liver. The mainstream medical industry would have us believe that these are wonder drugs (yes, they often actually use that actual term.) In fact, these drugs are extremely dangerous for many individuals, useless for many others, and beneficial only in some circumstances.
Watch this channel for a new video every week.
My hope is to offer hope to people who find the adverse effects intolerable and to assure them that the adverse effects are very real. Those of us who experience them are often stigmatized as being "statin deniers."
Please note that this is NOT medical advice and you should always consult with your own personal physician when it comes to whether or not you should be taking any medication, including statins.
Statins are a class of drugs that lower blood serum cholesterol by interfering with the normal function of your liver. The mainstream medical industry would have us believe that these are wonder drugs (yes, they often actually use that actual term.) In fact, these drugs are extremely dangerous for many individuals, useless for many others, and beneficial only in some circumstances.
Watch this channel for a new video every week.
Can you just stop taking statins?
I am often asked if one can get off statins "cold turkey" or if there is a better way (such as tapering off.) In this video I offer some thoughts on this.
References:
[1] Continued Statin Prescriptions After Adverse Reactions and Patient Outcomes: A Cohort Study
Annals of Internal Medicine, July 2017
www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M16-0838
[2] Interview of Dr. Beatrice Golomb by Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring:
ruclips.net/video/F7NizS-piiI/видео.html
[3] Physicians’ Experiences as Patients with Statin Side Effects: A Case Series
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40800-017-0045-0
Koslik, H.J., Meskimen, A.H. & Golomb, B.A. Physicians’ Experiences as Patients with Statin Side Effects: A Case Series. Drug...
References:
[1] Continued Statin Prescriptions After Adverse Reactions and Patient Outcomes: A Cohort Study
Annals of Internal Medicine, July 2017
www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M16-0838
[2] Interview of Dr. Beatrice Golomb by Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring:
ruclips.net/video/F7NizS-piiI/видео.html
[3] Physicians’ Experiences as Patients with Statin Side Effects: A Case Series
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40800-017-0045-0
Koslik, H.J., Meskimen, A.H. & Golomb, B.A. Physicians’ Experiences as Patients with Statin Side Effects: A Case Series. Drug...
Просмотров: 695
Видео
Revisiting Statin Absolute and Relative Risk Reductions
Просмотров 780День назад
One of my first two videos was about the confusion over Relative Risk Reduction and Absolute Risk Reduction. At that time for the sake of argument I made some simplifying assumptions so we could see how Relative Risk, Relative Risk Reduction, Absolute Risk, Absolute Risk Reduction, and Number Needed to Treat all fit together. These simplifying assumptions had to do with extrapolating the Relati...
When Doctors Take Statins
Просмотров 4,2 тыс.14 дней назад
In response to a viewer inquiry, I tried to find out how often physicians subject themselves to statins, and while I couldn't find any specific studies on the topic, I did find a Case Study Series of 7 doctors who took statins and suffered greatly as a result. The paper being reviewed is published under the Creative Commons BY-NC license, which may be found here: creativecommons.org/licenses/by...
What I learned from my Recent Hikes about my metabolic health and Statin "eligibility"
Просмотров 58921 день назад
As I announced on the community page for this channel, I recently completed a 20-year stretch of section hiking the 2,200 mile (3,500 Kilometer) Appalachian Trail, a long distance hiking trail in the United States. This year I covered the northernmost 120 miles, with another 120 mile warmup hike. In this video I cover the impact this exercise had on my metabolic markers (lipids and blood glucos...
A Look at One Volley in the Statin Wars
Просмотров 1,3 тыс.Месяц назад
In 2013 there was a battle in the statin wars between The BMJ and The Lancet, really standing in in as proxies for the authors of two brief articles which can fairly be classed as "Statin Hesitant" (Abramson et al, and Malhotra) and Dr. Rory Collins, a statin proponent. This video is not a review of that controversy, which will take a bit more study before I can give a fair assessment. However,...
Statin Pushing Doctors, Can You Hear Yourselves?
Просмотров 1,6 тыс.Месяц назад
I often wonder if many of the medical professionals pushing statins live in the same world as us. In this video, I highlight some of the many absurd assertions they have made. In many of these cases, it's not factual content of what they say that is the problem, but rather their interpretation or values. I have done my best to not take these statements out of context. The articles from which th...
Shocker: I got a statin ad on my Facebook feed - and it was biased!
Просмотров 587Месяц назад
I recently got an ad on my Facebook feed for a "new" statin called "Zypitamag." Imagine my surprise that the ad was misleading. That's this week's video. Photo by Pavel Danilyuk: www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-orange-crew-neck-long-sleeve-shirt-feeling-surprised-8637954/ Photo by Julie Viken: www.pexels.com/photo/five-oblong-medication-pills-593451/(recolored) DISCLAIMER: The following presentat...
I'll Tell You What Your Doctor Won't About Statins
Просмотров 1,5 тыс.Месяц назад
In this video, I present basic statin statistics from a viewpoint you are very unlikely to get from your doctor. It is important that you understand the limitations of statin therapy before you commit to, in the expectations of your doctor, you will take for the rest of your life. [1] 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: ...
Statin Hesitancy: Pseudoscience or Appropriate Medical Care?
Просмотров 2,6 тыс.Месяц назад
`In this video, I review an editorial written by two prominent and well-credentialed medical professionals (Drs. John Abramson and Robert Kaplan) in response to another editorial by a cardiologist, calling those who challenge the prevailing "statin wisdom" (if such an oxymoron should be used) "pseudoscientists." [1] Is Cholesterol Denialism Pseudoscience or Appropriate Medical Care? www.medpage...
A quick look at some statin statistics for Secondary Prevention
Просмотров 1,9 тыс.2 месяца назад
In this video, I'm finally wading into the "Secondary Prevention" issue, and I do mean "wading" as in not getting in too deep, but just breaking the surface. I discuss the concept that "relative risk reduction", which implies wide applicability across all risk levels, may not be as applicable as we may think (and I have been guilty of granting it.) Source of studies list: The effect of statins ...
Are Statins worth it? Making a Decision with uncertain information
Просмотров 7632 месяца назад
In this video I address statin heuristics - all those little things about statins that give us pause, even though no single one of them is definitive or can't be refuted as being a problem. But when we add them all up, we may feel that there are just too many "red flags" and we're not comfortable with taking these drugs. Photo by SHVETS production: www.pexels.com/photo/thoughtful-young-lady-loo...
A Tale of Three Doctors: Reactions to the PREVENT Calculator
Просмотров 1,4 тыс.2 месяца назад
In this video, I look at how three doctors have reacted to the prospect of using the PREVENT calculator when making treatment decisions for people with or potentially with cardiovascular disease. [1] Statins for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease-With PREVENT, What’s a Clinician to Do? jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2821542 JAMA Network July 29, 2024 Photo by Tima Miro...
Traditional assumptions about cholesterol and statins
Просмотров 8032 месяца назад
In this video, I discuss some of the contrary comments I have gotten from viewers, and where I think there are unstated (and often questionable) assumptions behind these comments. References: Total cholesterol and all-cause mortality by sex and age: a prospective cohort study among 12.8 million adults www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-38461-y A nonlinear association of total cholesterol with a...
What's the distribution of total cholesterol levels in the US?
Просмотров 8443 месяца назад
In this video, I discuss what I found when I looked for the distribution of total cholesterol levels in the US. Mostly I found "recommendations", and when I did find population statistics it was data such as "the number of people in each age group with high cholesterol" without giving a distribution. Only after a long search did I finally find a paper with an actual distribution. References: [1...
Statin-Hesitancy: Some errors we must avoid
Просмотров 8373 месяца назад
Statin Hesitancy is a minority opinion, or at least certainly not a mainstream medical opinion. As "outsiders" (so to speak) it is unfortunately incumbent upon those of us in the statin hesitant camp to take extra care to avoid making logical and statistical mistakes as much as we can, far beyond what seems to be expected of mainstream medicine. We're human, and some errors will inevitably cree...
My Statin Free Life meets Statin Talk
Просмотров 6613 месяца назад
My Statin Free Life meets Statin Talk
Statins and Life Extension - How accurate was that study?
Просмотров 1,8 тыс.3 месяца назад
Statins and Life Extension - How accurate was that study?
Why is 55 mg/dL [1.4 mmol/L] a target LDL in secondary prevention?
Просмотров 3,4 тыс.4 месяца назад
Why is 55 mg/dL [1.4 mmol/L] a target LDL in secondary prevention?
A New Risk Calculator will Reduce Statin Use? Let's take a look!
Просмотров 11 тыс.4 месяца назад
A New Risk Calculator will Reduce Statin Use? Let's take a look!
Statins and Grapefruit: What's the Connection?
Просмотров 1,8 тыс.4 месяца назад
Statins and Grapefruit: What's the Connection?
Has Statin-Pushing Gone too far? A quick case study.
Просмотров 2,5 тыс.4 месяца назад
Has Statin-Pushing Gone too far? A quick case study.
The Statin Elephants in the Room: Statin issues that go unacknowledged
Просмотров 2,3 тыс.4 месяца назад
The Statin Elephants in the Room: Statin issues that go unacknowledged
Statin Groupthink: How Popular Media Misleads Us
Просмотров 2,8 тыс.5 месяцев назад
Statin Groupthink: How Popular Media Misleads Us
What you need to ask yourself if your doctor has recommended statin therapy. Your values matter.
Просмотров 8 тыс.5 месяцев назад
What you need to ask yourself if your doctor has recommended statin therapy. Your values matter.
Statins for the Elderly: Is it a good idea?
Просмотров 4,9 тыс.5 месяцев назад
Statins for the Elderly: Is it a good idea?
My Statin Free Lifestyle - A Case Study
Просмотров 1,3 тыс.5 месяцев назад
My Statin Free Lifestyle - A Case Study
Does your doctor know about this common statin contraindication?
Просмотров 16 тыс.6 месяцев назад
Does your doctor know about this common statin contraindication?
Why is your doctor pushing statins on you? 6 reasons.
Просмотров 158 тыс.6 месяцев назад
Why is your doctor pushing statins on you? 6 reasons.
Why ARE we still in a "Statin War"?
Просмотров 8 тыс.6 месяцев назад
Why ARE we still in a "Statin War"?
Are Statin-related anecdotes of any value?
Просмотров 4726 месяцев назад
Are Statin-related anecdotes of any value?
How can insulin resistance, something that raises your heart disease risk 6 times (500% increase), or full blown type 2 diabetes, 10.8 times (980% increase) be LESS dangerous than a raised ldl, which increases your risk 1.4 times (40% increase)? These are the risks from the Women’s health initiative. It makes no sense to continue a statin if you develop insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
Any alternatives to COQ10 -- like foods? I am pretty sure those pills will kick off my heartburn. I am gearing up for a trial of 5 mg Crestor on alternate days. Have dodged statins for 15 years, but at age 70 I'm starting to see plaque on CIMT, and CAC is 0.51. (Not trying to fix LDL of 200 but will track inflammation markers, especially those Bale and Doneen cite.)
I understand that organ meats (beef liver, for example) is high in CoQ10. Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout, and nuts such as pistachios are also high in CoQ10, though I'll have to research how much one would have to eat of these to get 200 mg. Probably quite a bit.
Your doctor is not inclined to agree for you to stop taking statins. I was taking 1200 mg a day of red yeast rice. I got my doctor to accept my desire to use this instead of conventional statin medication. The more I researched red yeast rice capsules, I concluded the side effects are no different than usual statin meds.
Yes, the problem with RYR is that it may contain Lovastatin (Mevacor) so it's really a statin. When RYR is scrubbed of this ingredient, then it's less likely to have any effect on cholesterol. See: ruclips.net/video/EVBoRWSfAPE/видео.html
I did not discuss it with my Dr cause after showing her my side effect list (including blanking out and burying a cd in my tomato patch) and she said she'd give me another one...I told her she did know it caused diabetes and that shut her up. I then tapered off and end of story. I'm in a different state and found out I'm a lean mass hyper responder.
The FDA proving they are in the pockets of big pharma. Lord forbid them losing money
IF the benefit of taking a statin is lowering inflammation then IMO it would be useful to know their inflammation level via hsCRP before one stops taking a statin. HsCRP is non-specific (a cold could drive it higher, etc.) so take higher levels (>3) with a grain of salt. The other “benefit,” at least according to Dr. Brewer for a low dose statin, is to calcify any soft plaque. No idea how long that takes. Some influencers say never take a statin without taking coQ10/ubiquinol.
Yes, I think hsCRP needs to be taken several times over a few months to get an idea of what is normal for the individual. Also vaccines can temporarily spike hsCRP, and in my case there was an increase during an episode of Transient Global Amnesia. I spoke with Dr. Brewer fairly recently and he encourages getting a CIMT to determine a patient's soft plaque burden. He notes that calcifying soft plaque may lead to an increase in CAC score. I believe this would normally be a bad thing if taken out of context but if it represents stabilization plaque it may be a "lesser of evils" sort of thing.
@@mystatinfreelife Exercise can create inflammation so I always stop exercising 2 days before getting hsCrp measured. Jeff Volek, years ago, titrated carb levels and showed the lower the carbs, the lower the inflammation:) Gum disease can increase inflammation. So there are things other than statins to try if one’s hsCRP is above normal.
WORSE THAN STATINS COMING OFF WAS OMPROZOLE ,GURD ACID WAS TERRIBLE, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CAPSULES CURED THAT IN A WEEK
I stopped after only four months. The effects were awful (and no, I had no muscle pain, just a raft of other complaints). I felt my doctor was experimenting on me after noting a high triglyceride count ("Off the charts," she said). After stopping, the effects disappeared. That was over 20 years ago and no doctor since has ever recommended their use and my triglyceride count is not of worry.
You mentioned that if a patient cannot tolerate statins, a patient may have to consider another therapy to minimize the risk of ASCVD. All the literature that I could find on the PCSK9 inhibitors demonstrates that this class of drugs does an excellent job of lowering LDL-C. However, since we know that lowering LDL-C does NOTHING to minimize the risk of ASCVD/MACE, why even consider PCSK9 inhitors because they offer NO anti-inflammatory effects whatsoever?
@@JMK-vo8pv Yes, I'm suspicious of all cholesterol-lowering drugs for that reason, with the possible exception of a person with severe Familial Hypercholesterolemia, in which case something like bempedoic acid might help. The most effective therapies for most people are probably exercise and diet programs.
@@mystatinfreelife Thank you, Russ, for another excellent, thought provoking, video!
Exactly! Just because a drug does a great job of what it's supposed to do, but what it does is of no benefit to our health, why take it? Our goal should be for minimal -- or NO -- drug use, eat healthy, get regular exercise, fresh air and sunshine, live as happily as possible until our time is up.
@@ssa8479 I like what one commenter said on another channel: "Do No Pharm"
@@mystatinfreelife Good one!
After being nagged about statins by my PCP I had a stroke. Fortunately it wasn’t debilitating, but I’m left with numbness on my face and right side and forgetfulness. The ER doc said it wasn’t a stroke but my eventual MRI said it was. The neurologist prescribed a statin. 🙄 so far I’m not taking it bc I decided to try Nattokanese and Creatine for better blood flow. My cholesterol is 204.
Russ, do you agree that the ONLY way that statins work in secondary prevention is by curtailing INFLAMMATION and CLOTTING? Lowering of LDL-C has absolutley NOTHING to do with the tiny (if any) beneficial effects of statins.
I do lean that way. Certainly for secondary prevention, I haven't found any RCTs with, for example, a control group risk greater than 30%, that showed very much reduction in Cardiovascular events at all, despite the cholesterol-lowering that statins provide. This leads me to believe that possibly it is the pleiotropic effects you mention as the real source of the reductions. On the other hand, it may be that people with very high risk are simply in such bad shape that there's not a lot that can be done to improve their risks, at least not via pharmaceuticals.
People need to change lifestyle and what they are eating. They need to quit sugar and bad seed oil . Next they need to increase good oils and fats into their daily diet.
Russ, thank you for video. I am glad that i never started on Statins.
Heart disease is not a statin deficiency.
My neighbor had an episode in my back yard. She had been on L stat 2 weeks. Didn’t know who she was or where she was and was drooling. Paramedics came and had her call and go to her dr. That Dr told her she had an earwax issue. Drs are enablers for the pharmaceutical industry.
@FreeYouself2024 wow. I guess there have been stranger causes than earwax, but if I was a betting man, I'd put my money on the medication, especially given the timing.
IN UK WERE I USED TO LIVE, THE MEASUREMENT FOR NORMAL WAS 5 AND WHEN I HAD ANGINA MINE WAS 3.8 WAS VERY GOOD, I THOUGHT I WAS WELL OVER THAT THE WAY THE SPECIALIST WERE TALKING ,AFTER 6 MONTHS MY CHOLESTROL WAS 2.8 WHICH THE NURSE SAID WAS MINT, BUT ACTUALLY IT TURNED OUT TOO LOW
LOW DOSES FOR LONG TIMES LOKE ME 20 mg FOR 10 YEARS IS AS BAD AS ANYTHING, STATINS SHOULD ONLY BE USED TO LOWER CHOLESTROL AFTER HEART PROBS FIR LESS THAN ONE YEAR, AFTER THAT VOME OFF THEM GRADUALY AT DAME TIME TAKING ALL THE NATURAL NUTRIENTS YOU NEED, LIKE C0Q10 WHICH STATIONS DEPLETE, CHOLESTROL LIKE YOUR PERSONAL AMAZON DELIVERY WHICH SENDS NUTRIENTS ALL OVER YOUR BODY WITH NUTRIENTS IN IT, STATINS SLOW THAT PROCESS DOWN,
Thanks, Russ, for another fine video! But from my perspective, statins kill cells, which is how they reduce cholesterol. Cholesterol is used for our immunity, not to mention our brains need cholesterol. Currently, I'm upgrading my brain with Patrick Holford's advice as he says 40% of the world's population is dealing with some form of dementia his team of researchers has concluded that people don't have to suffer from it as just 1% of it is a genetic disposition. So I'll never be on a statin as it's considered a herbicide.
FORGOT TO SAY WHEN THE HOSTPITAL DOCTORS SAIDA I MUST STAY ON THEM FOREVER THAT MADE ME WANT TO STAY ON THEM AS I DIDNT WANT TO DIE WHICH MADE ME THINK PEOPLE ARE FRIGHTENED TO COME OFF THEM IN CASE THEY DIE LIKE I THOUGHT, I MANAGED WITHOUT THEM FOR 55 YEARS ON THEM FIR 10 TILL I GOT BRAVE AND THOUGHT SOD IT, IS IT HALF A MONEY MAKING PROFIT DRUG?
HOW LONG DID THEY TAKE STATINS ? I TOOK THEM FOR TEN YEARS AND TOOK MYSELF OFF THEM AS I HAD NUMB FEET BURNING FEET WEAK CALFS, TIREDNESS, FEEL LOT BETTER OFF THEM EVEN WITH THE ANGINA I HAD IN 2006, BEEN OFF THEM 8 YEARS NOW AND STILL HERE 😊
@petermizon4344 These doctors were on them for various amounts of time. It wasn't always obvious, but Drs B&G were very short-term users. Like you, I was on them for ten years; now statin-free for 6 years.
@@mystatinfreelife GOOD ON YER, AT FIRST I THOUGHT CLUTCH ON MY VAN WAS ON ITS WAY OUT AS I GOT THIS WEIRD VIBRATION THRU BOTTOM IF FEET TILL I REALISED IT DID IT ON ALL OUR VANS
Curious, if you reviewed the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival study. It’s possible the statin benefits outweigh the risks. Still confused.
@waynetrenton2310 Yes, the study with that highest Absolute Reduction was that study. Whether the benefits outweigh the risks is a value judgment. We'd also have to look closely at the study: does the population studied match the patient considering it for guidance? It had a relative risk reduction of 30.6%, which is fairly high for a moderate risk population. The risk level of the control group was 28%, well into that secondary prevention level that even some statin-hesitant doctors feel it makes sense to consider statins. If a patient looking at that study has such a high risk, it may offer meaningful guidance. If the patient has a lower risk (like the 7.5% that the guidelines use as a threshold) it may be less useful. The key is to compare the risk value and other characteristic of the study group to understand if it offers any guidance.
@@mystatinfreelife thanks for the information.😊
The best way of cutting risk is not a drug ... it's a diet change. However we all die eventually... it's how we die that matters... a massive heart attack is probably better than becoming a vegetable over 10 year period. I recently told a friend that he could probably delete his diabetes drugs or at least significantly reduce them if he cut the carbs for 3 months and helped his pancreas recover from 30 years of abuse. His response ... I like my cakes and biscuits. This is how the populace at large think because they are addicted to foods ... or indeed drugs. The drugs are addictive because the patient believes they are being saved. Whilst I still reserve judgement on the bible, it does actually state that pharmakia will not save you.... they claim it will extend your life .. but it almost certainly doesn't. Surgery wil almost certainly extend someone's life in the majority of cases. Long term pharmacy almost certianly doesn't, particularly if it is a catch all product.
I’m curious to know how good / bad cholesterol levels were decided….if cholesterol is such a bad thing, then why does the body produce it in the first place? And is cholesterol responsible for all heart attacks?
Cholesterol certainly isn't a bad thing - as you point out our bodies make it. It is needed for cell wall integrity, for production of hormones, and a host of other important biological functions. The question about how the HDL/LDL accepted or target levels were decided is a great one. I'll look into it.
Another excellent analysis. Great information.
There are no benefits ... unless you continue consuming garbage food and do some mental gymnastics.... mine is merely opinion. We all will die, if a product is being mass prescribed .. it can't be good because it can't be good for everyone. If a high risk person changed their diet (that is very likely to be a poor quality but govt inspired/led one) then you'll get massive improvements with no drug. Obviously 40 years of abuse takes a long time to recover from and may never be recovered from but the drug isn't going to help and is only likely to offer new problems (and new drugs) to deal with them. Absolutely convinced (with no specific evidence I have to point out) that it's all bs but does keep people in jobs and makes a small number of people very wealthy on the back of the working population.
Love your technical details. Hands up!
Excellent video and analysis. One analogy that might help people understand relative risk (rr) vs absolute risk (ab) is seatbelt usage. It's probably true that the use of seatbelts has a low absolute risk reduction (because very few people will be in a life-threatening car crash during their lifetime) but has a large relative risk reduction (if you crash, wearing a seatbelt is likely to save you). We must keep in mind that the relative risk reduction for wearing a seatbelt is very high compared to the relative risk reduction of a statin; and the risks associated with wearing a seatbelt are low (they can cause entrapment or decapitation in rare instances however). So most would chose to wear a seatbelt. The reason the relative risk reduction argument for statins is less persuasive is: 1) the rr reduction is small, 2) the side-effects are potentially severe (dementia, diabetes, etc) 3) the studies are often flawed (bias, run-in periods, composite endpoints, etc). So I appreciate your video for pointing out why both measures have their purpose.
Hey, Russ, it seems to me that if a Big Pharma company will not allow complete and open analysis of the raw date, how can we make ANY sense of ANY statin study regarding absolute and relative risk? If the statin company does not allow independent researchers to look at the raw data, can't that statin company manipulate the heck out of those statistics?
Absolutely. For example, Dr. John Abramson, who has fought tirelessly to gain such access, has pointed this out. But I figure that the data that we DO get to see is so unimpressive on its own that it's worth assessing on its own terms.
Thank you Russ, for your channel on STATINS!!👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸😉
Russ, thanks for the video. Are there any studies on Statins and Vitamin D levels? I think that Statins affect Cholesterol which will affect the Vitamin D levels.
Good question for study!!!👍
@@leonfuerst4790 I mentioned it briefly in a video a while back, but it wasn't the main topic. I'll add this to my backlog!
I'd love more content on the pros & cons on bempedoic acid. I've found a way to import it cheaply from India so I don't have to pay $500 a month! I get that bempedoic acid has side effects, but every drug has & the current data & evidence suggests the side effects are less common & severe than statins.... everything is a trade off In my personal case I such the large LDL-C lowering from bempedoic acid might outweigh the small increased risk of gall bladder stones, acute kidney injury & tendinopathy/rupture... some of the other side effects can safety be monitored for (e.g. gout, increase in liver enzymes)
I did not realize it was so expensive! Are you personally importing it as a private citizen?
@@seascape35 yep privately. (Indiamart). It's a risk, because the drug is still on-patent, so I guess indian pharma companies producing bempedoic acid are breaking the law
Did you see my video from a couple of years ago on this? ruclips.net/video/AFqCs2AMeVs/видео.html and are you looking for more? I can see what the latest research says.
@@geoffwhite3385 Thank you.
@@mystatinfreelife Yep. I watched that video & it was excellent. I just think more content on statin alternatives might be valuable for viewers of your channel. e.g. bempedoic acid, PCSK9-i, ezetimibe, etc. especially as more data comes out... I guess there is no rush to make more videos on bempedoic acid though, until new studies are published :)
I was told to visit a cardiologist at age 78 simply because I was old. So I did and the doctor was sitting at his computer not even glancing at me. He was typing away on a prescription for a statin without even telling me. Later he said you can pick up your prescription on the way home! I didnt get it and now Im being bullied to change my mind by my PA.
Stand strong! Watch the case of Dr. G in this video if you haven't seen it already: ruclips.net/video/VjKhFYLuiH0/видео.html
What a great video - it organizes a lot of my recent thoughts and concerns. And thank you for the links! I just subscribed 🙂
IM 57 AND TOOK MYSELF OFF STATINS 3+ YEARS AGO AND i STILL CAN BARELY RAISE MY ARMS ABOVE MY HEAD
@@COLLAR01 I'm very sorry to hear this. It is unfortunate that despite the common misperception by mainstream medical, statin adverse effects don't always resolve quickly, which is particularly dangerous because it can lead doctors to believe the symptoms weren't from statins.
Great info. Love it. Thanks
No one should take a statin.
You can not heal properly while taking that stuff, i took it for years till near death 😢 get to exercise move what you can eat meat😊
I literally changed my lifestyle in January by quitting the American diet of highly processed foods and starting Whole Foods only and a well balanced diet and dropped 2-BP meds, statin med, 2-allergy meds, and never started pre-diabetes meds in March of this year against my doctors advice, but, when I saw my doctor in June and he realized that I lost 40 pounds since January he understood that I was serious about my own health so he agreed that if I keep up with the lifestyle changes I should be ok…I see him again in December and I’m down from 190+ to 145 pounds to this day, so yeah, I started listening to my body for a change…
Want to keep my non brain fogged brain, thx. 🧠
It’s an all too common and uncouth way of thinking that case studies and clinical results are less than randomized controlled trials because you can have all the studies in the world, but if you don’t see clinical results, then those studies are garbage studies. Like epidemiological studies.
Dr G's case was a sad reminder for me of a neighbor friend who was started on statins for the first time in her mid-80s. Prior to starting, she had always been alert, positive, and conversational. Within a year after the prescription she was depressed and displaying considerable brain fog. It's ridiculous that she was put on a statin at her age, but I'm sure her family doesn't want some know-it-all neighbor (me) trying to intervene. So I just keep quiet, observe, and try to learn what I can from it all. Thanks, Russ, for your informative weekly installments!
Why would they take statins? They only eat heart health whole grains and broccoli. This whole story is impossible. Never happened.
Excellent presentation. Been off statins for over 1 year. I cannot wait for neuropathy to relinquish. Neuropathy is 80% gone, but need a cane at times for balance.
After a heart attack, I recently received a donor a heart transplant. Recovery is going great, but my cholesterol is high. My doctor insist I take statins. When you have a heart transplant recovery team they make you feel guilty for not following their instructions to a T. As if it’s on you for destroying your new heart. Sucks because following their advice and taking statins will be bad for me.
@kenjishab That's one I've never looked into, whether a transplant is a situation where statins, if tolerated, would be appropriate. I've heard some statin hesitant doctors even suggest they could be needed for a short period (like months, not years.) Keep an open mind and look for independent evidence. A quick search indicated that "careful management of drug interactions is necessary due to immunosuppressant medications." So I guess there's a lot of issues with drug interactions.
This is definitely going to my primary who's trying his hardest aside of demanding, that I go on a statin. Well, basing heart disease on just "cholesterol and LDL" numbers is now being questioned especially given the known side effects and very, minimal benefit. Unfortunately, he's a pill pusher who tried to put me on BP meds because the one day I was there, it was high. And despite the explanation, he believed I still needed them. So, you base your findings on ONE BP CHECK? Seriously? I'm someone who monitors it DAILY and it's always LOW, never high. Now I'm requesting CAC scan and a special blood test that measures particle size, not just the numbers. For almost 20 years, I've had heart palps and declining health after suffering heavy metal poisoning I cannot currently address. Since going on Carnivore in mid March, I've dropped 51 lbs, no more heart palps and I'm starting to see a small difference in my overall health. Ya know what? The bottom line is, we are not going to live forever and if given a choice of going out of my own accord or through the pharmaceutical industries "questionable" drugs? The latter will not happen.
Thank you for this,really disturbing.
Dr. D wasn't being naive. He was doing exactly what he's been taught and told to do by drug companies. No Statins for me. I'll live with my cholesterol.
My thought is that PCPs are not qualified to prescribe statins to begin with and shouldn’t exceed their training. They are not cardiologists with that extra training. I’d rather argue the subject with my cardiologist, which I have. I’m still not on statins.
@@HopefulEmpath Great point about PCPs!
I am not a medical fella ... but my gut instinct suggests to me that we will have higher cholesterol when our body is self repairing. Taking statins reduces the body's chances of repairing. Finding high cholesterol is likely a short term event (when a body is working properly) but the powers that be use that as a method of flogging product. This is made worse by our lord and masters assisting in the product marketing by creating health regulation and guidelines through people who are too lazy to think about their patients. These people could easily be marketeers in other matters and didn't notice their own programming until they became ill. I suspect they are all converts now though ... to thinking.... the system doesn't like free thinkers.
At 55 years old, I had high LDL and my doctor was suggesting a statin. I did a CAC with a score of zero, CIMT with a normal result, stress test with a good result, lipid profile NMR with good result, and other blood markers were good. My doctor didn't specifically say that they didn't think a statin was necessary but they stopped suggesting I take one. I'm now 60 and quite active, so having side effects from statins would be a real problem to me.
@@trail.blazer I still need to get a CIMT - very difficult where I live to find one, but I'm in a similar condition.
I suggest that all these scores do .. is assist in the marketing of drugs. As Russ has pointed out .. they reduced the cholesterol targets over a couple of decades. Thus they introduce screening to create a target that then allows them to reduce th target and introduce the new drugs 10 years later after the last drug lost its popularity. Medics and the public at large keep falling for the same marketing tools.
Russ, I LMAO 😂 you out did yourself on this one! I am passing this over to Marion Holman on X as she is a retired pharmacist who has studied statins for 16 years. I would expect she'd get a laugh out of this as much as I did! Just Great Work! I loved it!
Excellent and timely report, Russ. As it turns out, I met with a new doc today (fired the old one because of drug pushing and no consideration). Brought my labs, of course, including history, which shows in-range HDL (from low), normal triglycerides (from high), and high total cholesterol, though not as high as before. Also, no longer in the overweight/obese range. STILL ended up with cholesterol lowering prescriptions!!! Here's the interesting part. She explained that she must treat my numbers according to the state-set mandates (which the state had just lowered!). Despite being impressed that only diet changed my lipid profile, she does not have the option of deciding a treatment plan. She conceded on the 'no statin' rule, prescribed a fibrate, instead. She also agreed that my hypothyroidism could be low iodine, rather than autoimmune, and referred me for tests. *long* story short: I may have found a doc I can work with! Terrible that she's not allowed to practise 'best' medicine, as she seems to want to do.
@Phuckitall Interesting that the state mandate doesn't understand that statins are contraindicated in the presence of hypothyroidism. Good luck with the new doctor.
@@mystatinfreelife 😂Fair point! But then, you'd think they'd have been off the long-debunked 'cholesterol causes heart attacks' train, too. As I understand it, docs in the states are under similar pressure, only from the AMA, rather than the gov. Dr Ken Berry (know of him?) has often said that doctors face censure, up to their license being pulled, for not toeing the line. The push to medicate seems universal. Cheers!