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The Trouble With Statins

Statins are a class of drugs used to treat hypercholesterolemia—high cholesterol.

A good example of the failure of drugs to effectively and safely treat a serious medical condition is statins. Statins are a class of drugs used to treat hypercholesterolemia—high cholesterol. As of 2008, statins were the best‐selling prescription drugs in the world, with $20 billion sold per year in the United States alone. Although many studies show that statins provide primary prevention, the long‐term tolerability of these drugs is highly questionable. Statins can reduce total cholesterol in the blood and thus help decrease the incidence of coronary heart disease, but the use of statins is also associated with muscle pain and weakness, dizziness, cognitive impairment, peripheral neuropathy, and an increased risk of noncardiovascular death.

For example, when we review the results of major primary prevention trials, we find that the 15 percent decrease in deaths from heart disease in patients who were using cholesterol‐lowering drugs (CLD) is offset by increases in deaths from other conditions. One area of concern is cancer: Two popular classes of CLDs—fibrates and statins—cause cancer and liver damage in rodents. A significant increase in cancer incidence, especially gastrointestinal cancer, has been seen in people who take CLDs. Use of CLDs also increases cancer at the expense of decreasing deaths from cardiovascular conditions, especially among the elderly and people who are being treated with immunotherapy for cancer. There is also evidence of a relationship between cancer and statin dosing. Yet another area of concern is stroke. Low or reduced levels of serum cholesterol have been shown to increase the risk of death from hemorrhagic stroke.

Impact of Drugs on Hormones

Although we have not yet fully explained the major role hormones play in restorative medicine, here we want to point out the potentially devastating impact the use of drugs can have on hormone levels and balance in the human body. Studies show that cholesterol‐lowering drugs, for example, can cause hormone level abnormalities. Some research indicates that statin use disturbs testosterone levels, while specific drugs seem to target certain hormones. The statin, mevastatin, for example, can significantly decrease the production  of progesterone and testosterone, while clofibrate has a similar effect on testosterone and cortisol.

At an even more basic level, the use of synthetic hormones, rather than bioidentical hormones, can disrupt the body’s natural hormone balance. The human body contains all the elements it needs to process natural hormones when they occur in their natural proportions. When you introduce synthetic hormones, the human body does not metabolize them in the same way it does bioidentical hormones. That’s because synthetic hormones are not hormones; like drugs, they are foreign substances.

The Trouble with Cholesterol‐Lowering Drugs

  • The range of side effects caused by CLDs ranges from 4 to 38 percent in many studies, but has been seen to rise as high as nearly 75 percent in some trials (especially for cerivastatin and pravastatin).
  • Most patients who begin cholesterol‐lowering therapy stop it within one year: studies show 60 percent of patients discontinued their medication over 12 months, and only about 33 percent of patients ever reach their treatment goals.
  • The most common side effects of CLDs are abdominal pain, chest pain, dizziness, asthenia/fatigue, fibromyalgia, headache, insomnia, elevated transaminase levels in the liver, upper respiratory tract infection; also eczema, rashes, cramps, exercise intolerance, severe rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, and poor quality of life.
  • Statins deplete coenzyme Q10, a substance that is important for heart health. Supplementation with CoQ10 should be pursued to offset the dangers of statin drugs to the heart.
  • Statins may impair heart pumping function due to their myopathic effects.
  • Other conditions that may occur as a result of taking statins include erectile dysfunction, dementia, memory loss, severe irritability, peripheral neuropathy, restlessness, lupus‐like syndrome, pleurisy, arthralgia, tachyphylaxis, and mental confusion.

Get your FREE e-Book today, Dr. Dzugan’s “Your Blood Doesn’t Lie” and learn more about our program and how it can help you.

Because every person’s body chemistry is different, we work closely with you to develop a personalized program that improves your overall Quality of Life.

Scroll to the bottom of the Dzugan PhysioLogic home page and grab your free ebook, a free consultation with one of our Doctors, or just give us a call at 1-866-225-4877 Option 2 today to speak with an experienced advisor.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is for informational purposes only. It does not replace medical care from a licensed physician. If you have a medical concern, please contact DzLogic at 1-866-225-4877.

Side Effects of Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

The most common side effects of CLD include chest pain, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, fibromyalgia, headaches, insomnia, and upper respiratory tract infections.

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Dzugan’s book “The Magic of Cholesterol Numbers” and goes into detail about how cholesterol-lowering drugs (or CLDs) can change your quality of life: 

Where do cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLD) come into the picture? After all, these drugs are the things that all the fear against cholesterol is leveraged for. Do they directly work to fix the issue which causes the rise in cholesterol? Or perhaps by lowering cholesterol they enable a mechanism to go into action to restore cholesterol to previous normal levels, which by extension fixes the issue that was associated with the abnormal level of cholesterol in the first place? Such an effect from these agents certainly would be wonderful. It would be wonderful if this is also what actually happened.

Delving into the world of CLDs, it quickly becomes apparent that there is no single CLD, but instead we find out that CLD is a blanket term for several types of agents.

Statins, which are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, are perhaps the more famous ones if by fame we can refer to a beastly income coupled with a large advertising budget. Statins also pack the greatest punch, as they affect the basic mechanisms of cholesterol synthesis in a major way. They actually cut off cholesterol before it can be made.

The most common side effects of CLD include chest pain, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, fibromyalgia, headaches, insomnia, and upper respiratory tract infections. Statins and fibrates may cause erectile dysfunction. This one, in particular, is important, and not just for the men. Earlier we noted studies where high cholesterol was present in men with erectile dysfunction. If high cholesterol was the actual cause of this issue, wouldn’t it stand to reason that a lowered level of cholesterol would help with this instead of being a cause of it? Adverse events from CLD include reduced quality of life, eczema, skin rashes, severe rhabdomyolysis (the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue), renal failure, and death.

To read more about the world of Cholesterol numbers, get Dr. Dzugan’s book “The Magic of Cholesterol Numbers.”

Get your FREE e-Book today, Dr. Dzugan’s “Your Blood Doesn’t Lie” and learn more about our program and how it can help you.

Because every person’s body chemistry is different, we work closely with you to develop a personalized program that improves your overall Quality of Life.

Scroll to the bottom of the Dzugan PhysioLogic home page and grab your free ebook, a free consultation with one of our Doctors, or just give us a call at 1-866-225-4877 Option 2 today to speak with an experienced advisor.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is for informational purposes only. It does not replace medical care from a licensed physician. If you have a medical concern, please contact DzLogic at 1-866-225-4877.

Clean Up Your Gut, Manage Your Migraine

You are what your gut absorbs. – Dr. Dzugan in “The Migraine Cure”

The phrase “you are what you eat” is only partially accurate. In reality, you are what your gut absorbs. The difference in emphasis is especially important in today’s world because so much of the food in supermarkets and restaurants is contaminated and/or deficient in important nutrients. On one hand, you are exposed to substances you don’t want to absorb like pesticides, artificial flavorings and coloring, hormones, preservatives, steroids and more. When the gut is constantly exposed to toxic substances and deprived of essential nutrients, your digestive enzymes are inactivated, your intestinal tract weakens and your overall health suffers.

A healthy, well-functioning gut contains at least 85 percent friendly bacteria and no more than 15 percent of unfriendly bacteria. The balance can be upset by various factors including:

  • The use of painkillers, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Diarrhea caused by harmful bacteria or viruses, something common among those who suffer chronic migraines
  • Use of antibiotics
  • Surgical procedures performed on the bowel
  • An unhealthy diet
  • Emotional stress
  • Exposure to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy

How can you get rid of your migraines for good? We can help! Learn more about how you can get started with the DzLogic program. To learn more about what causes migraines, read Dr. Dzugan’s book ” The Migraine Cure.”

Get your FREE e-Book today, Dr. Dzugan’s “Your Blood Doesn’t Lie” and learn more about our program and how it can help you.

Because every person’s body chemistry is different, we work closely with you to develop a personalized program that improves your overall Quality of Life.

Scroll to the bottom of the Dzugan PhysioLogic home page and grab your free ebook, a free consultation with one of our Doctors, or just give us a call at 1-866-225-4877 Option 2 today to speak with an experienced advisor.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is for informational purposes only. It does not replace medical care from a licensed physician. If you have a medical concern, please contact DzLogic at 1-866-225-4877.