Cholesterol

The Cholesterol Lie

Cholesterol is a waxy substance, very important for our health. Unfortunately the industry has managed, with misinformation to put cholesterol on the "ver bad for your health"-list. This despite the fact the nobody dies from cholesterol, unless it is to low. Many studies confirm this; The lower your cholesterol, the higher the risk to die from any kind of reason!

An other Lie; Good or Bad Cholesterol

There is no such thing as good or bad cholesterol; there is only one type: "Cholesterol". Terms like ldl, vldl or hdl refers only to the size and function of lipoproteins who structure the transport business in our body for fats. LDL-particals ship cholesterol to where it is needed in our body. HDL picks it up, if no longer needed. HDL takes it to the liver where it is recycled and made ready for re-use again. it simply is to valuable to be waisted. These transport particals are neccessary since fatty substances such as triglycerides and cholesterol cannot dissolve in a watery substance like our blood.

Improve your health, your Cholesterol will follow you

If your cholesterol values are not as good as they should be, change your life style. Only in very exceptional cases the use of statins can be advised. In 99% of the cases they do more bad than good. A higher level of cholesterol shows the need of your body for more cholesterol. This because somewhere there is something wrong, like low vitamin D3 levels, short in vitamin C, causing leaking blood vessels, or many, but many more reasons. So find out the "why" first. There is NEVER a reason to take statins to save your life our health. In almost ALL cases they cause more trouble and try to cover up the underlaying physical problems. Using a good quality fish oil, like OmegaMatrix and supplements high in antioxidants like PhytoMatrix, will be much more useful. Guggul extracts can condition your liver that it simply needs less cholesterol and therefor will produce less, will reduce oxidation and inflammation.

GUGULIPID: A Natural Cholesterol-Lowering Agent

Nanacy L. Urizar and David D. Moore Annual Review of Nutrition
Vol. 23: 303-313 (Volume publication date July 2003)
(doi:10.1146/annurev.nutr.23.011702.073102)
First published online as a Review in Advance on February 26, 2003
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
The resin of the Commiphora mukul tree has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for more than 2000 years to treat a variety of ailments. Studies in both animal models and humans have shown that this resin, termed gum guggul, can decrease elevated lipid levels. The stereoisomers E- and Z-guggulsterone have been identified as the active agents in this resin. Recent studies have shown that these compounds are antagonist ligands for the bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR), which is an important regulator of cholesterol homeostasis. It is likely that this effect accounts for the hypolipidemic activity of these phytosteroids.

Cost of Cholesterol therapy (statins) versus the benefits.

Statins are the major money makers for the pharmaceutical industry. The cost price of using these medicins over the years are just staggering. And even worse, there is no raise in quality of life, just all is lowering and getting worse for a better number on a piece of paper. How objective are their advises? What are the benefits at which cost? What could be the perfect alternatives? What about the higher risk for uncountable side effects? What if everybody would know that the lowest cholesterol levels are twice as risky to die from any cause, compared to the highest levels? What if everybody would know about the raised risk for their kidneys, joint disease, low libido, Alzheimer, osteoporosis, and even raised risk for cancer development? Why not changing our life style, with added healthy supplements. In stead of raising the thickness of our plaques and arterie calcification, it can be lowered by simply adding vitamin D3, K2, resveratrol (as in PhytoMatrix) and fish oil like OmegaMatrix…

Estimating the health benefits and costs associated with ezetimibe coadministered with statin therapy compared with higher dose statin monotherapy in patients with established cardiovascular disease: results of a Markov model for UK costs using data registries.

Ara R, Pandor A, Tumur I, Paisley S, Duenas A, Williams R, Wilkinson A, Durrington P, Chilcott J. Clin Ther. 2008 Aug;30(8):1508-23.
Health Economics and Decision Science, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom. r.m.ara@sheffield.ac.uk

BACKGROUND: Ezetimibe has been reported to improve lipid control in patients with established cardiovascular disease (CVD).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the potential long-term impact on health status of prescribing ezetimibe in combination with statin therapy in patients with established CVD and evaluate its cost-effectiveness in a health economic model.

METHODS: A Markov model was used to compare ezetimibe and statin combination therapy with statin monotherapy. A published relationship linking changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiovascular events was used to estimate the cardiovascular events avoided through lipid-lowering therapies. The model was populated using results of extensive literature searches and a meta-analysis of clinical evidence. An adjustment was applied to model second-line lipid-lowering benefits. Conservative assumptions were used to extend the patient pathway beyond the clinical evidence. The analysis took the perspective of the UK Department of Health; therefore, only direct costs were included. Costs were calculated as year-2006 British pounds.

RESULTS: For a cohort of 1,000 hypothetical male patients aged 55 years, ezetimibe coadministered with current statin therapy was estimated to prevent a mean of 43 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, 7 nonfatal strokes, and 26 cardiovascular deaths over a lifetime, compared with doubling the current statin dose. The events avoided would provide a mean of 134 additional quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). With a mean incremental cost of pound 3,693,000, the lifetime discounted cost per QALY gained would be pound 27,475 (95% CI, pound 27,331- pound 27,620) and would rise to pound 32,000 for men aged 75 years.

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that, in some instances, ezetimibe coadministration may be cost-effective compared with statin monotherapy, but there are several limitations with this model. The economic effects of ezetimibe must be revisited when long-term effectiveness and safety data become available.

High risks with the use of Statins.

Severe rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure secondary to concomitant use of simvastatin, amiodarone, and atazanavir.

Schmidt GA, Hoehns JD, Purcell JL, Friedman RL, Elhawi Y.
DeJ Am Board Fam Med. 2007 Jul-Aug;20(4):411-6 partment of Pharmacy, University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, Iowa City, IA, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of a severe interaction between simvastatin, amiodarone, and atazanavir resulting in rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.

BACKGROUND: A 72-year-old white man with underlying human immunodeficiency virus, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, and hyperlipidemia presented with generalized pain, fatigue, and dark orange urine for 3 days. The patient was taking 80 mg simvastatin at bedtime (initiated 27 days earlier); amiodarone at a dose of 400 mg daily for 7 days, then 200 mg daily (initiated 19 days earlier); and 400 mg atazanavir daily (initiated at least 2 years previously). Laboratory evaluation revealed 66,680 U/L creatine kinase, 93 mg/dL blood urea nitrogen, 4.6 mg/dL creatinine, 1579 U/L aspartate aminotransferase, and 738 U/L alanine aminotransferase. Simvastatin, amiodarone, and the patient's human immunodeficiency virus medications were all temporarily discontinued and the patient was given forced alkaline diuresis and started on dialysis. Nine days later the patient's creatine kinase had dropped to 1695 U/L and creatinine was 3.3 mg/dL. The patient was discharged and continued outpatient dialysis for 1 month until his renal function recovered.

DISCUSSION: The risk of rhabdomyolysis is increased in the presence of concomitant drugs that inhibit simvastatin metabolism. Simvastatin is metabolized by CYP3A4. Amiodarone and atazanavir are recognized CYP3A4 inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacokinetic differences in statins are an important consideration for assessing the risk of potential drug interactions. In patients requiring the concurrent use of statins and CYP3A4 inhibitors, pravastatin, fluvastatin, and rosuvastatin carry the lowest risk of drug interactions; atorvastatin carries moderate risk, whereas simvastatin and lovastatin have the highest risk and should be avoided in patients taking concomitant CYP3A4 inhibitors.

Italian style brewed coffee: effect on serum cholesterol in young men.

D'Amicis A, Scaccini C, Tomassi G, Anaclerio M, Stornelli R, Bernini A.
National Institute of Nutrition, via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy.

BACKGROUND. Increases in blood lipids have been observed in humans when coffee is brewed by the boiling method. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if giving up Italian coffee might reduce blood cholesterol levels.

METHODS. Eighty-four normolipidaemic young adult males, after a 3-week baseline (BL), were randomly assigned to three different regimens of coffee consumption: espresso (E), mocha (M), and no coffee, but tea (T). The average coffee consumption during intervention (I) was 3.1 +/- 1.2 and 2.8 +/- 1.1 cups per day for espresso and mocha group respectively (espresso: 25-35 ml/cup; mocha: 40-50 ml/cup). Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were measured eight times during the study. Dietary pattern, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, drug use, and anthropometric data were also recorded.

RESULTS. The changes observed in serum cholesterol concentration between baseline and intervention were not statistically different in all groups. The changes were 0.0 mmol/l (T), +0.01 mmol/l (E) and +0.05 mmol/l (M) for total serum cholesterol; 0 mmol/l (T), -0.02 mmol/l (E) and -0. 03 mmol/l (M) for HDL-C; -0.13 mmol/l (T), +0.02 mmol/l (E) and -0. 05 mmol/l (M) for LDL-C. Serum triglycerides showed a significant increase during intervention (P < 0.01 by ANOVA) in all groups with a change of 0.18 mmol/l, 0.18 mmol/l and 0.22 mmol/l, for tea, espresso and mocha group respectively.

CONCLUSIONS. The results indicate that coffee brewed in the Italian way does not alter blood levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, since no significant differences were observed in these blood parameters after a 6-week break from coffee consumption.

Going for the best quality and the safest coffee, with least toxins in the coffee, is a combination of the best beans (Arabica), low roasting temperatures (max 220ºC) and using a good quality espresso machine. The short preparation time, combined with Arabica beans will limit the amount of beta-carboline to minimum levels. Robusta coffee has significant higher levels of beta-carboline (linked to Parkinsons disease). Overall, coffee drinking reduces the risk for brain disorders such as Alzheimers, dementia of Parkinsons.

Factors influencing the norharman and harman contents in espresso coffee.

Alves RC, Casal S, Oliveira BP. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Mar 7;55(5):1832-8. Epub 2007
REQUIMTE/Serviço de Bromatologia, Faculdade de FarmAcia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Aníbal Cunha 164, 4099-030 Porto, Portugal.

Espresso coffee (EC) brews were analyzed for beta-carboline [norharman (NH) and harman (H)] contents, by RP-HPLC with fluorescence detection. The influence of the coffee species (arabica or robusta), the roast degree, and the brew length was studied. The results show that the content of NH and H in EC is dependent primarily on the coffee species, followed by brew length. The roast degree has only a minor influence on the final content of NH and H in EC. When compared with other coffee brews, EC has an amount of these beta-carbolines (in micrograms per liter) similar to that of mocha coffee, both being more concentrated than filter and press-pot coffees. Therefore, the consumer's preferences will determine the amount of NH and H ingested daily. For the caffeinated 30 mL of EC, the arabica coffees contain about 4.08 microg of NH and 1.54 microg of H. Commercial blends (usually with a maximum of 30% robusta) range from the cited arabica values to 10.37 microg of NH and 4.35 microg of H.