I stopped taking my prescribed Statin last fall after taking it for 10 years. I kept seeing videos on Facebook, many by doctors that I really respect, that raised big red flags for me. So, I did further research to educate myself.
I learned that high cholesterol is not necessarily a negative thing and that statins are definitely not the be-all-and-end-all solution.
- The likelihood of a Statin preventing a heart attack in a healthy person (no other pre-conditions for heart disease) is only 1%.
- Statins can cause Insulin resistance, which leads to Type II Diabetes. (This happened to me.)
- Cholesterol plays several crucial roles in the brain (forming cell membranes, insulating nerve cells, supporting communication between brain cells.) Some research has shown that maintaining a healthy balance of cholesterol is crucial for optimal brain function.
- Since Statins started being widely prescribed, heart disease has NOT gone down while Alzheimer’s has sky-rocketed.
When I went for my Annual in January, my doctor wanted me to go back on Atorvastatin because my cholesterol numbers were high. I explained why I did not plan to do so: I had no family history of heart disease but there WAS family history of Alzheimer’s and I personally am much more concerned about Alzheimer’s than I am about heart disease.
When she and I revisited the topic 3 months later, she had flipped her position! Bottom line: we owe it to ourselves to be our own best Health Advocate.