Why statins and low cholesterol cause heart attacks and strokes
No studies have ever proven that high cholesterol causes heart disease since this simply is not true. Inflammation, not high cholesterol, leads to arteriosclerosis. Yet the pharmaceutical companies keep pushing the cholesterol myth to promote drug sales, while ignoring the fact that they are endangering lives.
Statins are the most commonly prescribed form of medicine for the treatment of “high” cholesterol. The drug companies have failed though to inform the public about the dangers of not only these drugs, but also of the dangers of low cholesterol, which among other things can cause heart attack and stroke.
I find it rather ironic that the drug companies are pushing statins claiming they help prevent heart disease when these drugs are well known to increase the risk of heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes! There are several reasons for this.
Other than liver damage, the best known side effect of statins is a condition known as rhabdomyolosis. This is a condition in which muscle tissue deteriorates. The deterioration occurs from declining levels of CoQ10 in the tissues, which is required for the proper function of cells and their energy production. What people often do not stop and think about is that the heart is also a muscle, and is prone to the same damaging effects from the use of statins. If taking statins I highly recommend taking at least 200mg of CoQ10 daily to help reduce the risk of statin induced heart failure.
The increased risk of heart attack and stroke actually occur for a totally different reason. If you read my blog articles on the dangers of nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), you will see that the risk of heart attack and stroke are related. Several NSAIDs, such as Vioxx and Celebrex, have been either pulled off the market, or have required stronger warning labels, warning of the increased risk of heart attack and stroke from these drugs. Even though the drug companies tried to make it sound like a new discovery, the risk had been known prior to the drugs ever reaching the market. The problem stems from the way these drugs work.
NSAIDs interfere with inflammatory prostaglandins. Inflammatory prostaglandins are hormones that dilate blood vessels. For example during injuries these hormones open up blood vessels to increase oxygen and nutrient levels to the area to promote healing. By inhibiting these hormones, the NSAIDs decrease blood flow to the organs, including the heart and brain. If the blood supply is sufficiently reduced to the heart and brain, heart attack or stroke can occur.
So what does all this have to do with statins and cholesterol levels? Prostaglandins, as with other hormones, are formed from cholesterol. Therefore, reduced cholesterol levels lead to decreased prostaglandin formation, and thus decreased blood flow to the organs. This explains why studies have consistently shown increased mortality with decreased cholesterol levels!