New Study Finds One Is Vastly Superior to Cut Cholesteric Acid: A Case Study of Statins vs Supplements
He said that not everyone with a family history of cardiovascular disease or elevated cholesterol should be on a statin. The guidelines were developed by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association. If a person’s LDL cholesterol is 190 or higher, they’re usually advised to start a statin. A risk calculator can help health care professionals estimate a patient’s risk of having a cardiovascular event over the next 10 years. If the risk is high enough, based on factors including age, blood pressure and smoking status, then a statin may be recommended.
Some people fret over potential side effects such as leg cramps, which may be – or may not be – linked to the drug. As an alternative, dietary supplements, often marketed to promote heart health, including fish oil and other omega-3 supplements (Omega-3’s are essential fatty acids found in fish and flaxseed), are growing in popularity.
The study was designed and run with the assistance of researchers who were sponsored by the maker of Crestor.
Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/11/06/1134094540/statins-vs-supplements-new-study-finds-one-is-vastly-superior-to-cut-cholesterol
Is there evidence-based evidence that omega-3 supplements are significantly better than cuts in the heart than omega-1 dietary supplements? A review by Honingberg and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Sometimes supplements are promoted as “natural ways” to lower cholesterol. But he says none of the dietary supplements demonstrated any significant decrease in LDL cholesterol compared with a placebo. The ‘bad cholesterol’ isLDL cholesterol, which can lead to plaque build-up in the arteries, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Honingberg says for people that have slightly elevated cholesterol, who are not at high enough risk to be prescribed a senna, they should focus on diet and exercise. “I tell my patients to save their money and instead spend that money on eating heart healthy, high quality food.” He points to studies showing the benefits of a Mediterranean diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and the DASH diet which emphasizes healthy fats. “I think a formulation that we perhaps don’t use enough is that food is medicine and is probably a more effective medicine than supplements,” says Honingberg.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, has also concluded, based on prior research, that omega-3 supplements do not reduce the risk of heart disease, but eating fish – which contains omega-3 fatty acids – is linked to a reduced risk. The idea is that a good diet with Omega-3s is part of a healthy one. A review done by the Institute for Neuroscience concludes that there is a possibility that omega-1 supplements can relieve the symptoms of arthritis. Omega 3’s are also added to baby formulas to promote brain development. Omega-3 supplements can reduce Triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood, according to the review. Honingberg says that this may be a good option for a small group of patients with high triglyceride levels.
Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/11/06/1134094540/statins-vs-supplements-new-study-finds-one-is-vastly-superior-to-cut-cholesterol
Effect of Side Effects on the Prescription of Statins for Ischemic Stroke in a Study of Blood Pressure in the Lobe of the Brain
Dr. Honingberg says that people with high risks of heart disease can be prescribed statins if they need them.
He says that the safety profile and low risk of side effects are discussed. He describes the risk of serious side effects as “vanishingly small.”
Sometimes patients stop taking a statin because they believe it’s causing a certain side effect. Honingberg points out that a double-blind study showed that when patients were given a placebo in place of a statin, they thought the side effects were the same. “If you look at the trial, people blame sennas for side effects they aren’t really causing,” he says.
She said that the study shows what biological makes sense: Taking vastatin and keeping fat from building up in the arteries makes strokes less likely.
An intracerebral hemorrhage is when blood from an artery suddenly begins to bleed into the brain. Ischemic stroke is the second most common cause of a stroke after a blood clot.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the US. Many can be prevented through lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, getting exercise and quitting smoking.
The health records of more than 88,000 Danes who didn’t have a stroke were used by the researchers. During the study period, 989 people (with an average age of 76) had a first bleeding stroke in the lobe area of the brain, and 1,175 (with an average age of 75) had one in the other parts of the brain.
The researchers distinguished between lobar vs. nonlobar strokes so they could look for differences in strokes in different parts of the brain; nonlobar strokes are often caused by high blood pressure.
The research was supported partially by the foundation. The pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk makes drugs for the treatment of stroke, but the foundation was not involved in the study design or interpretation of the data, the researchers say.
The study has some limitations. It lacked data on potentially important underlying conditions that could lead to a stroke and other information about behaviors that could raise a person’s risk, such as smoking or alcohol use. There would also need to be additional research to determine whether the results would be the same in non-European populations.