Commentary

November 5th, 2009

Guest Commentary
by Donald Brust, DVM, (ret’d)

This is a medically oriented article with considerable medical jargon involved. It is best that I qualify my comments to speak candidly on this subject. I am a veterinarian with 38 years clinical experience and seven years of professional education with countless post graduate educational hours.

For many years my biggest concern has been the perpetuation of the cholesterol myth by BIG PHARMA of the statin drugs as the drugs to prevent atherosclerosis and subsequent heart attacks. The cholesterol myth is based on the lipid hypothesis created by Ancel Keys back in the 1950’s. The lipid hypothesis is a “theory” that saturated animal fats and cholesterol in our foods raise cholesterol levels in the blood. This elevated blood cholesterol supposedly causes atherosclerosis leading to an obstruction of blood vessels of the heart thus resulting in coronary heart disease. The pharmaceutical companies saw trillions of dollars in profits; thus the “science” of fraud began. Today it represents over 13 BILLION dollars a year rip-off to the American people. Their TV advertising blitz verges on brain washing.

This fraud is perpetuated by your physician who is wined and dined at luxury resort “seminars” to promote their statin drugs. The free all paid seminars in Hawaii or Cancun have a catch – prescribe this magical life-saving drug and, you the patient, will most likely be on it the rest of your life. And as the population grows older, as it has and will, Big Pharma slowly increases its sales and profits at your expense. The medical profession is very reluctant to dispel this myth as they would lose office visits and lab tests.

Your doctor prescribes these magical, but dangerous, drugs to treat the symptoms of atherosclerosis and doesn’t address the real cause. The cause is the inflammatory reaction on the blood vessel lining (intima) caused by several factors as excessive blood glucose, elevated homocystein, etc. Now the question to ask: is it smarter to catch the horse before or after you open the barn door? It is more prudent to treat the inflammation in the blood vessel before cholesterol plaque is laid down. This can be done very economically and without dangerous drugs.

Let’s look at the sequence of events of atherosclerosis creating heart attacks and/stroke. Inflammation is the inciting cause on the vessel lining which then reacts by laying down infection fighting white blood cells. These white blood cells and debris trap calcium and LDL, the “bad”cholesterol. HDL, the “good” cholesterol removes LDL to some extent so the more HDL you have the better. Many published doctors are now expounding the “myth” that cholesterol does not cause heart attacks, which is true, but conversely perpetuated by T.V. commercials. They keep expounding to “lower your cholesterol” but in reality your body is dependent on a certain level of cholesterol to maintain proper hormone production and balance.

The painfully slow medical profession to change is just now accepting that cholesterol test levels are not true indicators for heart attacks and strokes. Newer tests and more diagnostic indicators are C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, homocystein, and the VAP tests. The VAP test is a must for it tells the level of all types of cholesterol, especially a very damaging one, the VLDL3 triglyceride. It is the prime indicator for progression of coronary artery disease, insulin resistance, and type II diabetes. The most dangerous form of cholesterol, LDL, is subtype Lp(a) because it is the most inflammatory and thrombocitic. High levels of Lp(a) can increase the risk of heart attack up to 25X. Unfortunately most insurance companies don’t cover the VAP test, but if your LDL is elevated on a routine exam, what is a few extra dollars to get a test to tell you if you need a statin for life or is it just easier to write a prescription for a statin drug for you?

You hear about the dangers of the statins, which are real. Why then is it necessary for regular blood tests? To see if the statins are destroying your liver, that’s why. The statins also cause muscle aches and pains; they destroy CoQ10 in all muscles cells. What is the hardest working muscle in the body? Answer: the heart muscle! Statistics show that after several years of taking statin drugs, there is a 60% increase of cardio myopathy (heart muscle failure). The cholesterol depleted the CoQ10 which is the energy source for the cells. The muscle cells, depleted of energy have to work harder to do their job but then fail. Death isn’t necessarily due to atherosclerosis as the drug company’s claim. Anyone taking a statin drug should have a current funeral plan or start taking a CoQ10 supplement. Ask yourself, if cholesterol is so circulatory damaging, why do statistics show that 50% of heart attack/stroke victims have normal cholesterol and why do many elderly people have high cholesterol? As far as Big Pharma tells us, these older people should have passed on long ago – ‘ya think? Would anyone lie to you for a 13 billion dollar profit? I was a boy scout once and you know I won’t.

How do you address the high cholesterol problem? First, have a complete lipid profile done. If elevated, tell your doctor you want the VAP test, but ask about the expense. Your insurance company should pay the lab fee if your doctor insists on the test. If elevated sufficiently to concern your doctor, then ask for a program to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides without statins. Here are some things to consider: a CoQ10 supplement, red rice yeast, policosanol, T.M.G (trimethylglycine), diet changes, vitamin B6 and B12, exercise. All are less expensive and much less dangerous than statins. Thus, you see, there are options to consider before taking dangerous expensive statin drugs. It would be interesting to run this information by your physician’s desk to see if he/she is practicing modern or archaic medicine. Have these modern tests been done before you started taking a statin prescription?

I must leave you with the modern scientific knowledge that cholesterol does NOT CAUSE ATHEROSCLEROSIS. It is INFLAMMATION that can be controlled without lifetime expensive prescription drugs.

Dr. Donald L. Brust (retired)
Valley Center, Ca.