Ok, first and foremost doctors do NOT make any money are prescribing statins...or any other meds for that matter. The industry have strict limits placed on what doctors can and cannot do. Once upon a time drug companies could leave small gifts or treat doctors to nice dinners once in awhile. Even that is now outlawed. In fact the clinic I work with we have rules against "any form of compensation, gift, favor, services, etc.." given to any medical personnel. So 99% of the doctors out there are really wanting to help you.
Amazing1914 summed up the whole experience quite nicely.
Please keep in mind about 1/2 or your health is genetic. The other half is lifestyle. So we have to concentrate on the 1/2 we can actually do something about. Nothing is perfect and you can find examples of someone with high cholesterol. Here is the guidelines for statins.........
The National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP) recommendations for medication therapy are based on cholesterol levels and the number of risk factors for heart disease.1 While these guidelines provide a good starting point for treatment, individual risk assessment is important to determine whether starting medication to lower your cholesterol is appropriate for you.
For people without known coronary artery disease (CAD) and with one or no risk factors for heart disease, medication may be started when:
? LDL is 190 mg/dL (4.91 mmol/L) or higher.
? The goal of medication is to lower LDL below 160 mg/dL (4.14 mmol/L).
When LDL cholesterol is between 160 mg/dL and 189 mg/dL (4.14 mmol/L and 4.91 mmol/L), medication may be considered. The goal is still to lower LDL cholesterol to below 160 mg/dL (4.14 mmol/L).
For people without known coronary artery disease, medication is considered when two or more cardiac risk factors are present, there is a 20% or less risk of developing symptomatic CAD within 10 years, and:
? LDL is 160 mg/dL (4.14 mmol/L) or higher and the 10-year risk is less than 10%.
? LDL is 130 mg/dL (3.36 mmol/L) or higher and the 10-year risk is between 10% and 20%.
? The goal of treatment with medication is to lower LDL below 130 mg/dL (3.36 mmol/L).
When LDL cholesterol is between 130 mg/dL and 160 mg/dL (3.36 mmol/L and 4.14 mmol/L), diet and exercise are usually emphasized. The goal is still to lower LDL cholesterol below 130 mg/dL (3.36 mmol/L).
For people with known coronary artery disease, diabetes, or more than a 20% risk of developing symptomatic CAD during the next 10 years, medication is considered when:
? LDL is 130 mg/dL (3.36 mmol/L) or higher.
? The goal of treatment with medication is to lower LDL to less than 100 mg/dL (2.58 mmol/L).
If the LDL cholesterol is between 100 mg/dL and 129 mg/dL (2.58 mmol/L and 3.36 mmol/L), diet and exercise may be tried, but medication may be started sooner if the person has coronary artery disease.
Also, here are some -
Risk factors you can control
? A high-saturated-fat, high-cholesterol diet, which may raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol
? Being overweight, which lowers HDL cholesterol and may raise LDL cholesterol
? Lack of regular exercise, which may raise LDL and lower HDL cholesterol
? Smoking, which may lower HDL cholesterol by as much as 15%
? Metabolic syndrome (abnormal findings related to the body's metabolism)
Cholesterol and heart disease myth or reality?
by greendawn 19 Replies latest jw friends
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EvilForce
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JWrobot
Smart Money had an unflattering article on Lipitor victims (The Lipitor Dilemma Nov. 2003) . I'd stick to a natural product to reduce cholesterol which in turn causes plaque which can lead to stroke and heart attack.
Most fish oil that's sold is junk. And eating fish isn't enough to make a difference. The 2 important ingredients of fish oil that do the trick are EPA/DHA. If one takes good amounts of that they may well avoid a stroke or heart attack. You can pm me if you'd like a reputable company. Eddie Albert took EPA/DHA , he lived well into his 90's. Of course he was into organic veggies too.
Stop the pain
There have been younger people who've died early in life, if you start early( on the product) you might live as long as Moses.
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EvilForce
The problem with "natural products" are that they are untested by any regulatory body.
Extrapolating benefits from one person is also unrealistic. Natural products like fruits and veggies is the best. Take a multi vitamin & an low dose aspirin a day is my "drug regimen".
My mother takes all sorts of herbs for everything under the sun. Shark cartiledge for this, black licorice for that, horny goat weed for this...We go round and round on this. Just as some people lament the medical industry is just trying to get your money....they will turn around and pay $ 200 a month to these quack pots for "natural cures". -
Balsam
Well I have a problem with high cholesterol and take medication to lower it. But still HDL was still too high so medication for that. The doctor was specific ,I could have a stroke if this stuff cloggs my arterys. I don't want to have a stroke and frankly I'm not college educated so I have to depend of people smarter and more educated than me to keep me healthy. Till the medical community lets us know that these medical understandings are wrong, I will trust them. I believe I would be foolish to think they don't know the scientific facts. As JW we were taught not to trust the educated doctors, historians, bible scholars or scientific community. That was foolish of us look where it took us, into a cult of stupid uneducated nonsense.
As for med pharmaceutical companys, it is a business but they are not in the business of killing people with their drugs or many more would die instead of being helped. The medications have gotten all of my cholesterol under control. I can only hope that it keeps me going to my late 80's like my parents and grandparents lived. And yes my mother had the problems too with it but it was kept under control by medication. She lived to 85 and died of heart failure.
Balsam
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Mulan
I asked my parent's doctor about this a couple of months ago, and he smiled and told me all the results published are the results of statistics, and can be misleading. He also reminded me that some ethnic groups have high cholesterol and live normal, long lives without worry. Specifially Hispanic and Native American groups.
My grandfather had extremely high cholesterol, and died at 78, but from complications following hip surgery. His heart and circulation were not involved in his death.............other than the obvious. He was very slender.
My grandmother, also had very high numbers (almost 300), She lived to be 89 and died during a bad flu outbreak. She was quite obese.
Both of my parents have high numbers too. They are ages 91 and 92. Thus, the conversation with the doctor. He said at this point, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. He isn't one to prescribe much.
My numbers were pretty high a year ago, and he didn't recommend anything for me either, other than to cut down on the ice cream. But my doctor wanted me on Lipitor or something. I ignored her.
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Odrade
Just as some people lament the medical industry is just trying to get your money....they will turn around and pay $ 200 a month to these quack pots for "natural cures".
This is very true, but in many cases the "natural cures," while they may not actually cure, are health supportive or at least neutral. And the folks that use them are often disinclined to go get a medical prescription anyways, or if they do, they are non-compliant (won't take the scrip regularly.)
I've seen my own family refuse to go to the MD for years, resulting in one of the more extreme cases. When I was 15, I almost died of appendecitis for use of "home remedies." (Belladonna and hydrotherapy.) Finally I was taken to a naturopath who told my mother to take me to the emergency room. First though, he drew blood to check my WBC count, so since he was doing a "test," my mom took me home to wait. By the time I got proper treatment, it was so extreme I had to spend a week in the hospital under quarantine. I still have the biggest appendix scar I've ever seen.
I do trust much of the medical profession, but I also know that, even though it may be unethical, many doctors DO get major perks on the side from the drug reps. I don't know that from reading the national enquirer, I know because docs in casual conversation have mentioned to me some of the things their colleagues have that came from "so and so from XYZ pharm." I also know that there are physicians out there that their own fellow docs can't figure out how they ever graduated med school, much less passed their boards and landed a job. It happens in every profession.
EF, it's nice that docs present a united front about the quality of healthcare in America, and it sounds like (from what little I read on here) that you are a good and sincere HCP, but honestly, can't you think of at least one or two docs of your acquaintance that provide scrips indiscriminately, and a few surgeons that you would travel far to avoid? Are there any OB docs that you would NEVER want your sister to have her C-sec from? or any nurses that you would be pretty worried if they were assisting? Have you ever had an intern that you weren't sure if he knew which end of the knife was sharp? C'mon, tell the truth...
Most people can hear the stories and realize that some of them are fabricated, and the others are (hopefully) the exception.
Odrade
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Outaservice
AMAZING TOUCHED ON WHAT I CONSIDER THE MAIN CULPRIT OF MOST DISEASES, NAMELY 'INFLAMATION'!
READ THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK 'THE INFLAMATION NATION' BY CHILTON.
WATCH OUT FOR FARMED (ALASKAN) SALMON, EAT ONLY WILD KINDS.
OUTASERVICE
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Amazing1914
Most fish oil that's sold is junk. And eating fish isn't enough to make a difference. The 2 important ingredients of fish oil that do the trick are EPA/DHA. If one takes good amounts of that they may well avoid a stroke or heart attack. You can pm me if you'd like a reputable company. Eddie Albert took EPA/DHA , he lived well into his 90's. Of course he was into organic veggies too.
I use the highly refined fish oil by Dr. Sears of Zone labs.
See: https://www.zonelabsinc.com/servlet/coresysconfig.ZoneLabsComController
Also, Fish Oil has been tested by the United States and in Germany. It is proven in clinical double blind studies.
And, as Outaservice said, inflamation is the key, and fish oil controls inflamation.
Jim W.
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Black Sheep
If you are careful which data you use you can prove just about anything. Orthodox and 'alternative' medicine (and religion) are no different.
If you really want to know the truth you have to learn to take 'expert opinion' with a pinch of salt and look at the actual data they are using, being careful to get ALL of the data, not just what they present in their defence.
Most of us have already been there. 607 vs 587 for example.
A few years ago I came across some research on butter vs marg. and rashes in boys. Despite more rashes in the marg. kids, the researchers still recommended marg. for kids because of the cholesterol demon without quoting research to back up that assertion. They didn't need to, they have already sold most of us that doctrine anyway, if you get my drift.
Personally, I have come to the conclusion that you should go for foods that have been the least mucked around with and that does not include foods with 'low' 'reduced' 'free' 'refined' etc. on labels. If a food naturally comes with fat in it, I eat it with its fat.
Well, actually, I generally avoid foods that come with a label on them. There are a few exceptions, of course
Cheers
Chris
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toreador
Does anyone have anything to say about Swansons vitamins. Are they a pretty good brand or not?
Tor