Sometimes I receive a question from a subscriber that is so good I have to share it with as many people as I can. Such is the case with todays health alert. David sent me an e-mail with the following question:
Dr. Rowen, I just recently heard that statins prevent cancer. With all you have said about the problems with statins, I have a hard time believing these drugs are good for anything. What do you think?
David, I think I have the smartest subscribers around. I am glad you are on top of things.
Do you remember when Big Pharma pushed hormone replacement therapy on people? They promised everything from heart disease prevention to Alzheimers prevention. But then the failings began to mount. HRT did not prevent heart disease. It did not stop Alzheimers. But it did cause a lot of problematic side effects, including cancer.
As you indicate, Ive shown you how statins will likely be the next big drug scandal. They do little (if anything) to stop heart attacks, but they do cause congestive heart failure. Big Pharma probably saw the writing on the wall and wanted to find a different use for the drug. If it works as a cancer preventive, then the money will really flow into Big Pharmas pockets. But news was released a few years ago — but it never received much attention — that statins are NOT a cancer preventer.
In 2006, three investigators published a study of 8,943 articles on statins. Their work debunks the myth that statins prevent cancer. The authors conclusion: We found that no type of cancer was affected by statin use and no subtype of statin affected the risk of cancer. That is pretty conclusive!
At least this time (unlike HRT), it did not take 30 years to debunk the myth perpetuated by Big Pharma. If your doctor pushes this class of chemical on you, please think twice.
First, theres no good evidence that statins reduce all cause morbidity/mortality. So they might lower the number of heart attacks, but deaths from heart failure and other conditions may go up.
Second, the cholesterol myth is just that, a myth. Its designed to scare you into using drugs. I admit that your best efforts at diet and lifestyle changes Ive mentioned in these pages might not lower your cholesterol. In that case, please consider essential phospholipids, niacin, or red yeast rice extracts before resorting to Big Pharmas chemical warehouse. I continue to see wonderful results with the policosanol formulation Advanced Cholesterol Formula. Most people will see positive results.