Recently a study came out and stated that cholesterol drugs known as statins helped to prevent prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction. (Source) As soon as I read this, a red flag popped up for me. Why you may ask? Well look at this statement made in the article:
One study found that men who were taking statins before undergoing surgical removal of their prostate had a lower risk of having the cancer return. “The use of statins at the time of surgery was associated with a 30 percent reduction in the risk of recurrence of prostate cancer,” said lead researcher Dr. Robert J. Hamilton, a urology resident at the University of Toronto Medical Center in Ontario, Canada.
Hamilton thinks that the anti-inflammatory properties of statins may explain the finding. However, it might also be the ability of these drugs to lower cholesterol that has an effect on cancer cells, he said.
Another study focused on inflammation inside prostate cancer tumors. “We looked at the association between statin use and prostate tumor inflammation,” Banez said.
“We found that men who were using statins prior to surgery had a significantly lower risk for inflammation within their prostate tumor,” Banez said.
In fact, men taking statins had a 72 percent reduction in the risk for inflammation of the prostate tumor. The researchers also found that obesity appears to be associated with increased inflammation and more aggressive prostate cancer.
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The FDA has denied approval for the use of Gardasil (a vaccine that is supposed to prevent cervical cancer caused by the human papilloma virus) stating that more long term research needs to be done. The maker of the vaccine (Merck) also has appeared in courts for lawsuits agains their drug Vioxx. Looks like their on a roll. Read the rest of this entry »
Source: PRWeb Press release
‘Generation RX’ addresses many of the alarming issues surrounding the growing use of ADHD drugs, antidepressants, and anti-psychotic medications among children and teenagers worldwide.
‘For decades, scores of doctors, government officials, journalists, and others have extolled the benefits of psychiatric medicines for children,’ said Miller, the film’s writer and producer. ‘Generation RX unveils ‘the rest of the story’ and explains how this era of unprecedented change in Western culture really occurred — and what price has been paid by society.’ Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve run across a few research studies that have the headline “statins protect against memory loss.” Of course I had to read it to see what the heck they were talking about. You know how adamant I am about the abuse of statin drugs and how we’ve been misled about the “dangers” of cholesterol. So when researchers come out and say that statin drugs can be helpful in the prevention of dementia, I have to raise an eyebrow and question the headline.
There’s been tons and tons of research done on statin drugs and their ability to lower the production of cholesterol. See my previous post about the Cholesterol Conspiracy. But the truth behind why statins may prevent heart attacks is because they have antioxidant characteristics and block inflammation. The majority of cardiovascular studies out there state that 70% of all heart attacks occur in people who have no prior history of artery blockage or any signs of artery blockage upon autopsy.
Since memory loss such as dementia is a degenerative process, we can conclude that oxidative stress and inflammation will speed up that process. It’s well known that as you get older your body produces less and less antioxidants and your need for antioxidant supplementation increases. So if your body produces less antioxidants, your oxidative stress increases and degenerative processes such as dementia speed up. Here’s the logic behind these studies:
Increased oxidative stress increases dementia. Statins can lower oxidative stress. Therefore…statins may protect against memory loss.
But hold on here…what else do statins do? Well…they block the production of CoQ10 and Vitamin D. Hmm. You really need those to function optimally.
I know…enough blah, blah, blah already. Just cut to the chase. Well the solution: if you want to decrease oxidative stress, take some antioxidants. Simple, yet effective.
Cholesterol has become a buzz word in the health care arena. Turn on the TV and you’ll see commercials for cholesterol lowering medications. Talk to your friends and they’ll probably tell you that they have high cholesterol and their doctor is treating it with a statin drug (go ahead, think about it. You probably have some friends or relatives diagnosed with high cholesterol).
We’re being duped! A lie is a lie, even if the truth is being stretched. The word cholesterol has somehow, with the help of media, become a bad chemical. Now Cheerios© claim to help “lower cholesterol.” Let’s look at the whole picture here.
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