In one of the previous posts, we have already addressed the potential danger of cholesterol lowering drugs to cause clinical depression in patients. Based on the reader's interest to the topic, we will review the most popular statin drug Lipitor in more details in terms of how it works, what are the potential side effects, and what are the chances that the negative side effects might be more significant than the health induced benefits.
Why is Lipitor Prescribed?
Lipitor (Atorvastatin) is used along with diet, exercise,
and weight-loss to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke and to decrease
the chance that heart surgery will be needed in people who have heart disease
or who are at risk of developing heart disease. Lipitor is also used to
decrease the amount of cholesterol (a fat-like substance) and other fatty
substances in the blood. This will decrease the risk of stroke, heart attack,
and other heart diseases because when there are high levels of cholesterol and
other fats in the blood, these substances may build up along the walls of the
blood vessels and decrease or block blood flow to the heart. Lipitor is in a
class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). It works by
slowing the production of cholesterol in the body.
How Lipitor Works?
There are two sorts of cholesterol: a 'bad' sort called low density lipoprotein
(LDL) and a 'good' sort called high density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is deposited
in the arteries and increases the risk of heart disease by clogging and
narrowing the arteries (atherosclerosis), while HDL actually protects the
arteries against this. Lipitor and other statins as well lower cholesterol in
two ways: They encourage the liver to clear LDL (bad cholesterol) from the
blood, and they block an enzyme that the body needs to make new cholesterol.
At high doses, statins can nudge up your HDL (good cholesterol) while lowering
your LDL (bad cholesterol) by 50% or more. Studies have shown that, for
patients who already have heart disease, taking a statin can reduce the risk of
fatal coronary events within five years by up to 40%. According to Thomas H.
Lee, a cardiologist and editor in chief of the Harvard Heart Letter,
even people who don't have high cholesterol can cut their risk of heart disease
by a third simply by taking a statin.
Even given their wild popularity, "statins are still
underprescribed," says Thomas Allison, PhD, a cardiovascular specialist at
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "The drugs could do much more good if
more people took them to prevent heart disease, not just treat it," he
says. "Most people aren't receiving cholesterol treatment until they've
had a heart attack."
Lipitor can also be used to reduce the risk of coronary
heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes, regardless of their cholesterol
levels. It has been shown to reduce the risk of needing procedures to improve
blood supply to the heart, such as a balloon dilation of an artery or a heart
bypass graft. It also reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and death from
heart disease.
Is Lipitor Underprescribed
or Overprescribed?
While scientific opinion on the necessity of promoting
statin drugs, and Lipitor, as the most popular among them, is widely accepted
in medical community, it cannot be considered as the only existing approach to
the cholesterol related health problems. Dr. Mercola presents totally opposite
point of view, claiming that the drug is often prescribed for the cases, when
it is unneeded, and even presents certain dangers to the patients’ health.
That these drugs have proliferated the market the
way they have is a testimony to the power of marketing, corruption and
corporate greed, because the odds are very high— greater than 100 to 1—that if
you're taking a statin, you don't really need it.
The ONLY subgroup that might benefit are those
born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, as this makes
them resistant to traditional measures of normalizing cholesterol. And, even
more importantly, cholesterol is NOT the cause of heart disease.
If your physician is urging you to check your
total cholesterol, then you should know that this test will tell you virtually
nothing about your risk of heart disease, unless it is 330 or higher.
HDL percentage is a far more potent indicator for
heart disease risk. Here are the two ratios you should pay attention to:
- HDL/Total Cholesterol Ratio: Should ideally be above 24 percent. If
below 10 percent, you have a significantly elevated risk for heart
disease. - Triglyceride/HDL Ratio: Should be below 2.
I have seen a number of people with total
cholesterol levels over 250 who were actually at low risk for heart disease due
to their elevated HDL levels. Conversely, I have seen many people with
cholesterol levels under 200 who had a very high risk of heart disease, based
on their low HDL.
Your body NEEDS cholesterol—it is important in the
production of cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you
to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps your brain form memories and is vital to
your neurological function.
There is also strong evidence that having too
little cholesterol INCREASES your risk for cancer, memory loss, Parkinson's
disease, hormonal imbalances, stroke, depression, suicide, and violent
behavior.
How to Optimize
your Cholesterol Levels Naturally?
If your
cholesterol levels are not critical yet, you may try to adjust your diet and
lifestyle accordingly to balance your good and bad cholesterol in the body:
- Reduce, with the plan of eliminating,
grains and sugars in your diet. Eat the right foods for your nutritional
type, and consume a good portion of your food raw. - Make sure you are getting plenty of
high quality, animal-based omega 3 fats, such as krill oil. - Other heart-healthy foods include
olive oil, coconut and coconut oil, organic raw dairy products and eggs,
avocados, raw nuts and seeds, and organic grass-fed meats as appropriate
for your nutritional type.
- Exercise daily. At least 30 minutes
of exercise a day has been shown to decrease total cholesterol and improve
"good" HDL cholesterol levels, while lack of regular physical
activity can raise "bad" LDL cholesterol levels as well as lead
to weight gain. Make sure you incorporate peak fitness exercises, which
also optimizes your human growth hormone (HGH) production. - Reach and
maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can decrease "good" HDL levels and
increase "bad" LDL and total cholesterol levels. - Address your emotional challenges
engaging in enjoyable and mood stabilizing activities, like dancing, yoga,
meditation, massage, and others.
- Cut out
caffeine and alcohol
– drink water. Both
caffeine and alcohol have been shown to elevate cholesterol. So it's best
to switch to pure water and, at the very least, follow the "no more
than one a day" rule. - Don't smoke or use tobacco in
any form. Smoking
damages blood vessels, contributes to hardening of the arteries and is a
major health risk for heart disease, stroke and other degenerative
diseases. Be sure to get plenty of good, restorative sleep.
Unlike statin
drugs, which might lower your cholesterol at the expense of your health, these
lifestyle strategies represent a holistic approach that will benefit your
overall health—which includes a healthy cardiovascular system.
However, some experts have expressed concern that the
emphasis on statins could draw attention away from the importance of diet and
lifestyle. A 2007 study of 71 patients who began taking statins found that 44%
felt their physician had prescribed the statin even though the patients
preferred to try dietary measures to control their cholesterol. And although
76% of the patients wanted to reduce their dietary fat intake when they began
statin treatment, after six months there was no significant change in the
group's fat intake.
Lipitor Side Effects
While you may try to leverage your cholesterol levels
naturally with the recommendations, provided above, that might not work as
expected due to the various reasons, and mostly due to the genetic
predisposition. If that is a case, you will still have to take the medications,
since the cholesterol can potentially be dangerous to lethal to your health.
While taking Lipitor or other statins, you should be aware on the possible side
effects. Note that medicines and their possible side effects can affect
individual people in different ways, or may not affect at all. The following
are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with Lipitor. Just
because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this
medicine will experience that or any side effect.
Common (affect between 1 in 10 and 1 in 100
people)
- Disturbances
of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, flatulence or
abdominal pain. - Indigestion.
- Runny
or stuffy nose. - Nose
bleeds. - Muscle,
bone or joint pain - Headache.
- Difficulty
sleeping (insomnia). - Skin
reactions such as rash and itch. - Back
pain. - Dizziness.
- Feeling
of weakness. - Decreased
sensitivity to touch or pain, pins and needles sensations. - Chest
pain.
Uncommon (affect between 1 in 100 and 1 in
1000 people)
- Vomiting.
- Decrease
in the number of blood cells called platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia).
- Inflammation
of the pancreas (pancreatitis). - Muscle
pain. - Hair
loss (alopecia). - Loss
of appetite. - Weight
gain. - Liver
disorders. - Changes
in blood sugar levels.
Rare (affect between 1 in 1000 and 1 in
10,000 people)
- Swelling
of the legs and ankles due to excess fluid retention (peripheral oedema). - Hepatitis
(inflammation of the liver). - Muscle
breakdown (rhabdomyolysis). - Inflammation
of the muscles (myositis). - Fever.
Very rare (affect less than 1 in 10,000
people)
- Visual
disturbances. - Serious
skin conditions such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome or toxic epidermal
necrolysis. - Enlargement
of the breasts in men. - Taste
changes.
Unknown frequency
- Interstitial
lung disease. - Depression.
- Memory
loss. - Sleep
disturbances. - Sexual
problems.
Lipitor and
Depression
As you noticed, the frequency of the Lipitor-induced
depression falls in the category of Unknown. That means, that the link exists,
the danger is low, and that there is no sufficient data to quantify the
probability you may develop depression from long-time Lipitor consumption.
Some new researches however show much higher probability for
the related problems development than is shown on the official side effects statements.
One of the studies found up to 12
per cent of patients taking part in one clinical trial suffered sleep
disturbances such as insomnia, while 11 per cent of users in the same trial had
depression and three per cent some level of memory loss. Another study
suggested 12 per cent of statin patients had erectile dysfunction. That does
not mean you might develop all the health problems above, if you just start
taking Lipitor, since these trials did not evaluate the per cent of the
patients affected by the stated conditions before the trials, so the numbers
have lower value with missing reference points.
Another study,
performed at the University of California, School of Medicine, showed that in
multiple cases patients report depression and mood changes as side effects of
Lipitor. Some people reported loss if interest in activities and tendency for
diminished involvement in social affairs.
Summary
While the Lipitor side effects might be significant, the mainstream medical
opinion is that the biggest risk with statins is not taking them. Only about
half of all patients prescribed a statin end up reaching their cholesterol
goals, mainly because far too many people leave far too many pills untouched.
If you feel that taking Lipitor brings major complications
to your health and emotional wellbeing, discuss with your doctor the
possibility to alter your treatment plan and optimize the cholesterol
maintenance approach.
Sources and Additional
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