In my regular trawl through on-line newspapers this week I came across this story in the Telegraph (UK). Apparently, death rates in the UK are at a record low. This is, on the surface, a good thing. However, such statistics can belie the fact that while individuals may be living longer, the quality of the […]
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Cholesterol researchers make up the rules as they go along
There is a well-established paradigm in medicine that ‘raised’ levels of cholesterol cause heart disease and that reducing cholesterol levels has broad benefits for health. Yet, despite how firmly these concepts are entrenched in the psyche of doctors and their patients, these assertions fail to tell the whole story regarding cholesterol and its management. One, […]
Fast food to be served with a side-order of statins? No thanks
Many doctors and scientists have nearly unbridled enthusiasm for the class of cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins. One example of this comes in the form of a study from a group of researchers which claims that taking a statin can counteract the potentially heart-stopping effects of fast food [1]. The researchers suggest that fast food […]
Increasing evidence shows that drug companies like to be selective about what they publish
I don’t mind referring to scientific research where relevant, but I’m not of the mind that only things that have been ‘scientifically proven’ have merit. One reason for this is that there’s plenty of things that we might do in practice that appear to consistently help people, but have not been subjected to systematic study. […]
Low cholesterol levels associated with depression and other mental health issues
I know that some doctors and scientists would have us believe that, where cholesterol is concerned, “lower is better”, but I have real difficulty mustering any enthusiasm for this stance. And one major reason for this is the fact that low levels of cholesterol are associated with enhanced risk of death, perhaps most notably from […]
Are wholegrains good for the heart?
The conventional nutritional approach for ‘heart health’ is a low-fat (specifically, low saturated fat), high-carbohydrate diet. For many reasons, this is not the sort of diet I would generally recommend to ward off heart disease. For more about this, click here. One particular form of carbohydrate that has been vigorously promoted for its heart-healthy properties […]
Do statins save lives in essentially healthy people? (No)
Statins are drugs that reduce cholesterol. They also reduce risk of heart disease and stroke. That does not mean, though, that they do they via their cholesterol-reducing effect. There are several lines of evidence which actually suggest otherwise. For example, statins can have clinical benefit before they reduce cholesterol levels. They also have been purported […]
More evidence comes in that saturated fat does not cause heart disease
Back in April I wrote about my ‘love-hate relationship’ with dairy products. The love part of my relationship relates to the fact that many dairy products are rich in protein and low in carbohydrate, coupled with the fact that I actually like the taste of things like cream, yoghurt and cheese. The hate part of […]
Study linking regular tooth-brushing with reduced risk of heart disease should remind us of why cholesterol is unlikely to be the ‘killer’ it’s made out to be
A study published last week in the British Medical Journal has linked irregular toothbrushing with an increased risk of heart disease: individuals who rarely or never brushed their teeth were found to be at a 70 per cent increased risk of ‘cardiovascular events’ (e.g. heart attacks and strokes) compared to regular brushers [1]. Why? Well, […]
Article reminds us of the importance of focusing on drug effects on health (not cholesterol)
Back in November I wrote about a study which, like others that came before it, casts doubt about the benefits of cholesterol reduction. In this study, combining a stating with ezetimibe (which reduces cholesterol absorption from the gut) produced less favourable outcomes than a statin coupled with niacin (vitamin B3) in terms of arterial health. […]
Corporate Wellness
