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.

BINGO!  Statins have a slight anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant characteristic that plays a role here, but you’re also forgetting what else it does like block the production of CoQ10 (See blog post).  Why take a drug that will decrease inflammation but block the production of CoQ10 which will then increase the chances of developing other degenerative diseases?  Why aren’t these studies taking a look at natural sources of anti-inflammatory compounds that do not have deleterious side effects?

Natural anti-inflammatories

• Fish Oil (EPA/DHA) plays a huge role in cooling down inflammation.  I usually recommend 2000 – 6000 mg per day of a high quality fish oil.
• Grape Seed Extract is a potent COX-2 inhibitor
• Enzymes help to remove or digest inflammatory compounds like protein wastes.
• Turmeric is a very potent COX-2 inhibitor herb
• Broad spectrum multi-mineral, multi-vitamin.

Remember the hippocratic oath stresses “Doctor do no harm.”  Take control of your health rather than leaving it up to your medical doctor.  Prevention is the key.  Be pro-active rather than retro-active.

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.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a lipid that is essential to life, especially our cells since the cell membranes are composed of it.

Some of the functions of cholesterol:

• It is a precursor to the steroid hormones made in your body (estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, progesterone, cortisol, aldosterone)
• Precursor for vitamin D synthesis
• Important in the manufacturing of bile, which aids in fat digestion
• Important for the metabolism of the fat soluble vitamins (A D E K)
• Maintains the fluidity of cellular membranes

The Lipid Hypothesis:

In efforts to find the culprit for cardiovascular diseases, researchers began to point the finger at cholesterol being the prime suspect. Finding cholesterol plaques lining the artery walls led researchers to deduce that the narrowing of the space with the vessel was the prime cause for cardiovascular disease. The solution to the problem was to lower the amount of circulating cholesterol. Hooray (right?)!!!  Read on…

Enter the Statins:

In 1971, Japanese researcher Akira Endo discovered that a toxin produced by Penicillium citrinum actually inhibited the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase (the enzyme that makes Cholesterol). Its a natural defense mechanism that these bacteria evolved which would eventually kill the “predator.” This toxin was called Mevastatin. Then in 1976 Merck isolated another toxin from the fungus Aspergillus terreus, which inhibited HMG-CoA reductase, and called it Lovastatin.

Pharmaceutical companies began to isolate HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors from various microbes and then eventually began to synthesize it in the test tube.

Fast forward 25 years and statins become the #1 selling drug in the US, bringing in BILLIONS of dollars for the pharmaceutical industry.

Take home point: statins are toxic compounds meant to kill.

Have we solved the problem?

The logical conclusion you can draw from this is that since cholesterol build up cause cardiovascular disease and statins inhibit cholesterol production, there should be less cardiovascular disease in the US since it’s the #1 selling drug.

Yet according to the CDC, in 2005, heart disease was the leading cause of death, and stroke was the #3 leading cause of death.

Hmm…doesn’t seem like we solved the problem here.

Follow the white rabbit down the money trail…

Show me the MONEY!!!  Lipitor continues to top the list of the best selling drugs worldwide.  In 2006, sales topped $12.9 billion dollars.  Think about that.  The company who manufactures Lipitor is Pfizer.  In 2007 Pfizer listed revenues of $48.8 billion dollars.

In 2005, they maxed their contribution to the re-election of president George W. Bush ($250,000).

A 30 count 20mg bottle of Lipitor costs roughly $114.  Doctors tell you that you’ll need it for the rest of your life…adds up to thousands per person.

So how did lipitor rise to the top of the list?  Well, with MDs buying into the lipid hypothesis and then transmitting false information to their patients and organizations such as the American Heart Association lowering the “acceptable” levels of circulating cholesterol…you can see where this is going.  Tell every patient that they need to get their cholesterol levels checked, have the media express concern over the link between high cholesterol and death, and now you have a recipe for increased sales.

Another point to add in here is that “high cholesterol” has no signs or symptoms.  If it shows up on blood tests, your doc will probably instill some fear in you that you’re “at risk” and then quickly pull out the prescription pad.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Cholesterol conspiracy…

Years have passed now and you begin to enter into a new hormonal phase.  Something I call: The Second Puberty (or commonly known as Menopause and Andropause).  As much as men will not admit they go through this, well…we do (it’s usually put off as a ‘mid-life’ crisis).  Menopause is actually the cessation of menses, meaning there’s no eggs being released!  Andropause, on the other hand, basically means that there’s a moderate decrease in testosterone production.  But males still produce sperm through this time.

So here’s what’s happening:

Essentially your body begins to make less of the primary sex hormones: Estrogen (females) & Testosterone (males).  So physically speaking, women begin to form more male characteristics and men begin to form more female characteristics. You know the saying, “the longer you’re married to a person, the more you begin to look like them.”

Menopause usually dominates the scene, because women are more attune to their bodies and men just shrug it off.  But both usually are afflicted with hot flashes, night sweats and usually a decrease in libido.  Here’s the kicker: you can actually prevent this from happening.

How Doc?

Well we have to step back and give you a brief schooling on your hormonal system.  Your sex hormones are primarily produced in the gonads (ovaries and testes) and also your adrenal gland cortex.

When you go through these phases, the drop off in sex hormones produced by the gonads should be buffered by the production of sex hormones in the adrenal glands.  The majority of the time the culprit tends to be decreased levels of progesterone.

The common treatment for menopausal symptoms has been hormone replacement therapy, specifically synthetic estrogen.  Most women are given Premarin.

What is premarin?

Hold on to your seats when I tell you this, but premarin is actually horse urine.  Yes, they get premarin from pregnant mares (hence the name Pre (gnant) Ma (res) u(Rin)e.  Every time I tell patients this, they look at me in disbelief and shock that their OB/GYN didn’t disclose this information.  We’ll leave this topic for a discussion at another time.

What’s the solution to hormonal balance:

1. You need to have your hormones levels properly tested.  I highly recommend salivary hormone testing which looks at the bioavailable forms of estradiol, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, and cortisol.  I work with Labrix, which specializes in salivary hormone testing.
2. Once you get your test results your treatment plan may include support for your adrenal glands (glandulars, adaptogens and supportive nutrients), topical bio-identical progesterone, dietary change and exercise.
3. Other tests may be warranted such as a liver detoxification capacity test and thyroid panel.

If you would like to have these tests run, please call my office at 949-559-7999 and request these tests and I can help devise a treatment plan for you.