The Dark Truth About the "Wonder Drug" Millions Swear By

Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 26 2011 | 

Story at-a-glance

• Statin drug side effects can easily be misdiagnosed as unrelated health problems, which leads to polypharmacy and unnecessary drug treatments.
• Statins are known to cause nerve- and muscle damage, and are contraindicated during pregnancy due to high risk of birth defects. They can also lead to a number of other health complications.
• The true dangers of statin drugs, which suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, are becoming increasingly apparent. Dr. Seneff provides a dozen sources for you to review to increase your knowledge base about this hazardous drug.

By Dr. Stephanie Seneff

The trials that a new drug goes through can only achieve limited testing, and, almost always, the tests used to evaluate the side effects of a drug are too short due to expediency and cost. It is only once a drug is unleashed upon the real world, and enough time passes, that we learn how its toxic effects can manifest themselves after years of treatment.

Fortunately, the internet holds the key to answers obtained by millions of patients who have unwittingly offered themselves up as guinea pigs in the experiment of living long-term with a given drug.

Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of a biological wonder drug, namely cholesterol.

Repeatedly, retrospective studies have shown an alleged benefit for statins, which is actually a benefit derived from the many years of high cholesterol that preceded statin treatment.

This game has been played out for sepsis, pneumonia, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and Alzheimer's, and these are just the ones I'm aware of.

When the proper placebo-controlled study is done, the effect reverses -- statins make the situation worse.

But these negative results are kept well concealed from the public's eyes. This is how the myth has been kept alive that statins, instead of cholesterol, are the wonder drug.

Below are 13 links to Web sites that contain useful information about statin drugs and cholesterol. Spend some time perusing these links, and then you will be better informed to decide for yourself whether or not to take a statin drug.

#1. Biological Mechanisms Behind Statin Side Effects: Duane Graveline, the M.D. who goes by the nickname "Spacedoc" has done everything he can to inform the public of the dangers of statin drugs. Dr. Graveline is a former NASA astronaut and Air Force flight surgeon. His reasons for taking on the challenge of debunking statins are very personal, because he developed global transient amnesia while taking Lipitor, an unnerving experience that deprives you of all memory of events in your life looking back several decades.

Since then, he has conducted extensive research on the biological mechanisms behind the diverse severe side effects of statin drugs. The link above is but one branch of a vast network of frightening yet informative information about the potentially devastating long-term effects of statin therapy.

#2. Statins and Nerve Damage: The People's Pharmacy is a wonderful forum that allows patients to share their experience. This is one of many examples of adverse side effects of statin drugsavailable on that site.

#3. Statins and Pregnancy: Like thalidomide, statin drugs are a class X drug with regard to pregnancy, meaning they are contraindicated and should NOT be taken by pregnant women. They can cause significant damage to the nervous system of a developing embryo.

#4. New York Times  Exposes Potential for Misdiagnosis Caused by Statin Use: This article points out some of the severe side effects statins can cause, and illustrates with a poignant story about a woman from Kansas. She had been taking a statin for years to reduce her cholesterol. Over that same time period, she experienced chronic muscle pain which neither she nor her doctor attributed to the statin therapy. It even led to a useless shoulder operation.

Her problem eventually escalated into skin lesions caused by a reaction to toxic protein by-products released by her disintegrating muscles. She was given an antifungal to treat the skin lesions, another misdiagnosis. But the antifungal interacted with the statins to further increase the severity of her muscle disorders. Three months later, she could barely stand, and her pulmonary muscles were so weak she couldn't breathe. She died shortly thereafter.

#5. The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics (THINCS): Dr. Uffe Ravnskov has campaigned tirelessly to fight the myth that high cholesterol is damaging to your health. This web page contains valuable information about all the ways in which cholesterol keeps you healthy.

#6. The ASEPSIS Trial: The statin industry continues to claim that statins protect against sepsis because of several retrospective studies that show that those who take statins have less risk than those who don't.

What these studies are proving is that cholesterol protects from sepsis. The media keep saying that what is needed is a double-blind placebo controlled study, but they already have one they could talk about. It's just that you can't find out anything about it except that it was completed in January, 2008. You can read my take on statins and sepsis here.

#7. Statins Increase Pneumonia Risk: Just as for sepsis, the statin industry likes to claim that statins improve your chances against pneumonia. But a double-blind placebo controlled study proved them wrong. The risk for pneumonia that required hospitalization was increased by 61 percent in the statin group compared to the controls.

#8. WebMD Article on Muscle Pain and Weakness: This relatively benign article on WebMD provoked a firestorm of responses; each comment tells the story of another tragedy unfolding. To understand the biological mechanism behind the process by which statin drugs destroy muscles, see this link.

Here's a typical comment from that site:

"I was prescribed Crestor 20mg 2 weeks ago with cholesterol level 7.6. First time on any medication. After approx. 4 days I started to experience severe muscle pain, thigh, buttocks, arms, legs to the extent that I can hardly get out of bed in the morning. Have been back to Dr. who advised stopping tablets. Have been off them for 3 days, very little difference. I am hoping these pains will go away soon. I will never take a statin drug again - would rather take the healthy option, diet and exercise and take the risk. Have never felt so bad. Usually very healthy, fit person."

#9. Statins and Heart Failure: Dr. Peter Langsjoen believes that statin drugs greatly increase your risk of heart failure. I have argued why this might be true here.

#10. JUPITER Trial and Diabetes: The JUPITER trial, which was terminated prematurely after less than two years, was widely heralded for showing that statins reduce the risk of heart attacks in the short term for people with high levels of C-reactive protein but without high cholesterol.

However, little note was made of the fact that the JUPITER trial also showed a 25 percent increased risk to new-onset diabetes in the treatment group. Since diabetes is a strong risk factor for heart disease, one wonders how the trial would have turned out if it had been allowed to run to completion.

#11. High Cholesterol and Alzheimer's: This is the article that inspired the Newsweek article, #12 below, with the lead story that statins "protect from" Alzheimer's -- which is the exact opposite of the truth about statins and Alzheimer's.

The only relationship between high cholesterol and Alzheimer's the authors could find was if they looked back 30 years. What they're not saying is that, in the intervening years, cholesterol levels fell for those who later developed Alzheimer's. While no one has said exactly why their levels might have fallen, statin drugs are a good bet.

Here's the only thing that the article above has to say about statin drugs:

"Information on lipid-lowering treatments, which have been suggested to decrease dementia risk, was not available for this study."

You can be sure that, if there was any inkling that the statins might have helped, these researchers would have been allowed access to those statin treatment data. You can read my essay on statins and Alzheimer's to learn why statins would likely cause Alzheimer's.

#12. Glowing Newsweek Article on Statins:This article illustrates how thoroughly the statin industry has succeeded in brainwashing the media into believing that black is white. The lead story is that statins protect against Alzheimer's. If you have read my essay on statins and Alzheimer's, you will think otherwise.

The only two placebo-controlled studies mentioned in that article were "underway" at the time. Interestingly enough, the media have kept mum on one of these studies: "S5-01-05: Multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Simvastatin to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease," Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, Volume 4, Issue 4, Supplement 1, July 2008, Page T200, now that it's done. I wonder why?? Unfortunately, there's not even an abstract available in the public domain for this study.

The other study, on multiple scerosis, failed due to the fact that they couldn't get enough people to agree to participate. I think people with multiple sclerosis were wise to stay away from it. Here's an article that shows that statins increase damage in multiple sclerosis.

About the Author:

Dr. Stephanie Seneff is a senior scientist at MIT and has been conducting research there for over three decades. She also has an undergraduate degree in biology from MIT, and a minor in food and nutrition. She's affiliated with the Weston A. Price Foundation.

The Best Anti-Aging Therapy

Posted by: Dr. Mercola | September 30 2011 | 160,906 views

By Dr. Mercola

Have you ever thought you'd like to take up ballroom dancing, yoga, or cycling, but then thought twice because you're no longer in your 20s or 30s? It's time to put such notions right out of your head, as when it comes to exercise age is just a number -- and no "number" is too high to start getting active.

Your mind may actually be your biggest hurdle to staying fit and athletic well into your 80s and 90s, especially if you buy into the myth that you've got to spend your afternoons sitting in a rocking chair once you reach 75.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, could be further from the truth!

From Triathlons to Rodeos, Seniors Do it All

If you're looking for a bit of "exercise" inspiration, look no further than this uplifting article from Happy News. It explains that more and more people are achieving stunning physical accomplishments in their "golden" years. Most of you are probably familiar with Jack LaLanne, who was the picture of fitness well into his 90s, but he is but one example. Others include:

• Tao Porchon-Lynch, who is winning ballroom dance competitions and teaches at least 12 yoga classes a week at age 93.
• Lew Hollander, who became the second 80-year-old to complete the Ford Ironman World Championship, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mille bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon
• Allan Johnson, who at age 80 still competes in rodeo competitions

Further, there are only four living people (and 16 in all history) who have earned a tenth-degree black belt, which is the highest rank in the martial art Judo. The fourth is not only the first woman to earn the title … she also did it at the age of 98. So if you're having any thoughts that you're "too old" to exercise, keep Sensei Keiko Fukuda (and the others listed above) in mind.

At age 98, she became the first woman to earn Judo's highest-degree black belt, and she still teaches the martial art three times a week!

Not everyone has to become a world-class athlete to stay in shape, of course. Many communities have senior baseball leagues, swim teams, and other group sports that you can take part in, or you can simply exercise regularly with a personal trainer or on your own. The key to keep in mind is that the more active you are, the healthier, more nimble and happier you'll be -- AND …

You are Never Too Old to Start Exercising

You are never too old to start exercising and my mother is an excellent example.

Exercise can be a part of your life no matter what your age, and, in fact, becomes only increasingly important as you get older. Two years ago, my mother fell down a flight of stairs and broke her shoulder and wrist. It took quite awhile for her to recover, and when she did she started an exercise program to regain strength, balance, and flexibility.

My mom didn't start working out until she was 74 and now, at the age of 77, she has gained significant improvements in strength, range of motion, balance, bone density and mental clarity. After a bit of apprehension at first, she now, as you can see on the video, loves her workouts and, I'm hoping, will inspire you to get active as well, no matter what your age.

Yes, You Can Exercise at ANY Age

There's an overwhelming amount of evidence confirming that physical exercise is a key player in disease reduction, optimal mental, emotional and physical health, and longevity. After reviewing 40 papers published between 2006 and 2010, researchers found that exercise reduces the risk of about two dozen health conditions, ranging from cancer and heart disease to type 2 diabetes, stroke, dementia and depression. Exercise also slows down the rate of aging itself, providing perhaps the closest example of a real life fountain of youth as we will ever find.

Ideally, you will have made exercise a regular part of your life long before you reach your "golden" years … but if you haven't, there's no better time to start than the present.  Research has shown that regular exercise, even initiated late in life, offers profound health benefits. For instance:

• Even a small amount of exercise may protect the elderly from long-term memory loss and even help reverse some of the effects of aging.
• Women between the ages of 75 and 85, all of whom had reduced bone mass or full-blown osteoporosis, were able tolower their fall risk with strength training and agility activities.
• Moderate exercise among those aged 55-75 may cut the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which increases heart disease and diabetes risk.
• Among those who started exercising at age 50 and continued for 10 years, the rate of premature death declined dramatically, similar to giving up smoking and mirroring the level as seen among people who had been working out their entire lives.
• Exercise significantly improved muscle endurance and physical capacity among heart failure patients with an average age of 76.

Further, the older you get, the faster your muscles atrophy if you're not regularly engaging in appropriate exercise, so the key to avoiding sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) is to challenge your muscles with appropriately intense exercise. Age-related muscle loss affects about 10 percent of those over 60, with higher rates as age advances, but you can prevent this from occurring if you exercise.

For the Elderly Exercise Can, Quite Literally, Save Your Life

Exercise is a key to remaining steady on your feet as you get older, which is of incredible importance because not only are falls responsible for most fractures and traumatic brain injuries among the elderly, but those who fall can also develop an intense fear of falling again, which leads them to limit their activities and in turn increases their risk of falling even more.

So while it may seem like exercises to improve balance and strength are optional as you get older, they should really be viewed as a necessity -- like eating and sleeping -- as they can quite literally save your life. As you get older your muscle and bone mass decrease and the senses that guide your balance -- vision, touch, proprioception -- may all start to deteriorate, and this can make you unsteady on your feet.

By taking the time to do balance, strength and other exercises on a regular basis you can keep your sense of balance strong, and even restore what's already been lost.

In a study published last year, eight weeks of balance training reduced slips and improved the likelihood of recovery from slips among the elderly. Separate research, which noted that "altered balance is the greatest collaborator towards falls in the elderly," found balance training is effective in improving functional and static balance, mobility and falling frequency in elderly women with osteoporosis.

The ability to balance on one leg is also an important predictor of injury-causing falls, so if you know that you'd be shaky if you tried to stand on one foot, you're at an increased risk of being hurt in a fall and should start appropriate exercises immediately.

Making Exercise Safe and Effective

In the videos above you'll hear Darin mention safety a number of times. This is always an important aspect of exercise, but is of crucial importance if you're older and just beginning. Many elderly people forgo exercise altogether because of a fear of injury or pain, but what's important to remember is that proper exercise will ultimately reduce your risk of injury as well as help toimprove pain.

As Darin mentioned, if you're older it's best to get a workout buddy -- a personal trainer or someone who is experienced -- to help guide you through your routine, at least at first. You will want to start slowly and gradually increase intensity as you grow stronger, avoiding activities that aggravate or cause pain. While you need to use caution and avoid starting out too intensely, you do need to exercise at a level that is challenging to your body or the benefits will be lost.

Ideally your fitness program should be comprehensive, providing the necessary balance-training activities for stability while also improving your strength, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and fat-burning capabilities with high-intensity "Peak" exercises. Just like strength training, you are never too old for anaerobic Peak exercises. The only difference is that the older you are the less your maximum heart rate will be, but you still work out with the same intensity.

During the 'peak exercises,' you raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a 90-second recovery period. You repeat this cycle for a total of eight repetitions. For an in-depth explanation of my peak fitness regimen, please review this past article. Depending on your fitness level, you may need to perform Peak exercises while walking or riding a stationary bike.

As I mentioned earlier, regular exercise is essential to counteract muscle loss. However, it's important to realize that simply lifting weights will not necessarily result in gaining muscle mass. In order to effectively build muscle you also need to incorporate high-intensity exercises such as Peak 8 in addition to strength training.

An Exciting Exercise Option for Building Balance

You can certainly build an excellent exercise program using nothing more than free weights, resistance bands and items you have around your home, but there is one form of exercise you may also want to consider, which is performed on a vibrational machine called the Power Plate.

This multi-directional vibration machine has a number of benefits for your health beyond the cardiovascular and metabolic aspects commonly associated with exercise. For example, the vibrational action of the Power Plate can help improve the following:

The tri-directional movement promotes proprioception, which is just a medical term for sensing the relative position of neighboring parts of your body. Proprioception is an internal feedback mechanism crucial for balance, as your body constantly adjusts to uneven terrain as you walk.

The unique ability of the Power Plate to train and build your neurological system has huge implications for treating people with neurological problems as well as elderly individuals who are prone to falls because of instability. As the video below shows, you can re-train motor patterns and re-establish communication within your body as the Power Plate balances muscle groups, resulting in profound improvements in your overall balance.

Now's the Time to Take Control of Your Health

I'm very proud of my mom for taking control of her health and starting an exercise program in her 70s, and she is already experiencing the benefits. If you are older and currently weighing whether or not to start one of your own, please use your age as a reason to exercise, as opposed to an excuse not to.

If my mom can do it, there's a good chance you will be able to too.

If you don't have access to a personal trainer or experienced exerciser who can help guide you, many health clubs now offer fitness classes geared toward seniors, ranging from dance classes and water workouts to yoga and tai chi. The more active you are, and the wider the range of activities you do, the more mobile, independent and, likely, happy you will be as you get older.

One final tip -- make sure you engage in activities you enjoy. There was one common thread among the elderly athletes mentioned above, and that is, as Happy News reported:

" … they absolutely love the activities they've found to do. Even if some of it is a hard slog, the pleasure they get from it always outweighs the tedium."

Porchon-Lynch, the 93-year-old ballroom dancer and yoga teacher, expanded:

"Don't be scared to live. Don't procrastinate. There's very little time on this Earth and there's so much to do and so much beauty. ... There's nothing you can't do."

You can find even more fitness tips, videos and articles to help keep you in optimal health no matter what your age at Mercola Peak Fitness.