A Statin Nation

If you have been told that you must take statins or risk a devastating heart attack or stroke, you need to read this book. Dr Kendrick, a well-known statin sceptic and author of the bestselling The Great Cholesterol Con, has returned to the diet-heart-cholesterol battlefield to warn that people are being conned. In relaxed and humorous style, he lifts the rock to allow the reader to peer underneath. He points out that statins, even in high-risk individuals, increase life expectancy by a mere four days after five years of treatment. Yet adverse effects have been swept under the carpet by researchers who are closely tied to the industry. The way to avoid heart disease, and strokes, is simple - but, as this riveting book shows, it has nothing to do with lowering cholesterol levels.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and for decades conventional health authorities have pushed that the culprits are fat and cholesterol clogging up coronary arteries. Consequently, lowering cholesterol has become a hugely lucrative business, and cholesterol-lowering Statin drugs are now the most prescribed medication in the world, with clinical data showing one billion people eligible for prescription. However, these cholesterol guidelines have been heavily criticized, and increasingly, doctors and researchers have been questioning the role cholesterol plays in heart disease. We now know that people with heart disease often do not, in fact, have high cholesterol, and even the strongest supporters of the cholesterol hypothesis now admit that no ideal level of cholesterol can be identified. Large-scale studies have proven that statins are not generating the benefits that were predicted, and new research shows that high cholesterol may actually prevent heart disease. Worse still, millions of people in the United States and worldwide are taking statins preventatively, at great cost to their health. A complete reevaluation of the real causes of heart disease is long overdue, not to mention an inquiry into why the pharmaceutical industry continues to overprescribe statins (and market them aggressively to consumers) despite this evidence. Statin Nation offers a new understanding of heart disease, and Justin Smith forges an innovative path away from the outdated cholesterol myth with a viable alternative model to address the real causes of heart disease. Statin Nation provides detailed examinations of nutritional alternatives that are up to six times more effective than statins, and other interventions that have been shown to be up to eleven times more effective than statins. But all of these methods are currently ignored by health authorities. Smith provides a heart disease prevention plan that anyone can use, providing hope for the future of heart-disease treatment with a purpose.

Statins are widely prescribed to lower blood cholesterol levels and claim to offer unparalleled protection against heart disease. Believed to be completely safe and capable of preventing a whole series of other conditions, they are the most profitable drug in the history of medicine. In this groundbreaking book, GP Malcolm Kendrick exposes the truth behind the hype. He will change the way we think about cholesterol forever. Rubbishing the diet-heart hypothesis, in which clinical trials 'prove' that high cholesterol causes heart disease and a high-fat diet leads to heart disease, Kendrick lambastes a powerful pharmaceutical industry and unquestioning medical profession, who, he claims, perpetuate the madcap concepts of 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol and cholesterol levels to convince millions of people to unnecessarily spend billions of pounds on statins. Clearly and comprehensively debunking assumptions on what constitute a healthy lifestyle and diet, "The Great Cholesterol Con" is the accessible, indispensable and absorbing case against statins and for a more common-sense approach to heart disease and general wellbeing. No more over-hyped miracle drugs; no more garlic, red wine, anti-oxidants, fruit or vegetables; even a vegetarian diet is rejected in this controversial yet authoritative critique of how we have been mislead over how food and drugs affect our coronary health. Here, for the first time, is the invaluable guide for anyone who though there was a miracle cure for heart disease, "The Great Cholesterol Con" is a fascinating breakthrough that will set dynamite under the whole area.

Discusses the uses, misuses, dangers, and benefits of statin drugs, counseling patients on how to make informed choices about side effects and lifestyle changes that can promote cardiovascular health.

'Giving you all the facts to help you decide how best to have a healthy life. - Dr Phil Hammond Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. Yet many report unacceptable side effects and a US survey revealed that 75 per cent of respondents stopped taking them within a year. So what is the evidence for their benefits? Dr Aseem Malhotra, author of the bestselling The 21-Day Immunity Plan and co-author of the bestselling The Pioppi Diet, examines the claims for statins and their role in lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease. He introduces us to his targeted heart-health plan, which, with a diet plan, recipes and advice on reducing stress and increasing movement, can help us to live statin-free and take control of our own health. 'Backed by science, this is a riveting read for anyone with a heart.' - Liz Earle 'Aseem's programme gives you the best opportunity for a v long and healthy life.' - Ross Walker 'Get this book to figure out if a statin-free life is right for you.' - Dr Robert Lustig

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The two main conditions that lead to heart attacks and strokes are atherosclerosis, or the development of lumps in the artery wall, and atherosclerotic plaques. These do not just occur in the coronary and carotid arteries, but can also be found in arteries almost anywhere else in the body. #2 The vascular system consists of the heart, arteries, and veins. The heart begins life where an artery and vein merge together, and it pumps blood into the arteries at high pressure. Veins bring blood back to the heart at lower pressure. #3 The circulatory system was a mystery for many centuries. It was believed that the blood left the heart and disappeared into various organs around the body, never to be seen again. But Harvey proved this was not the case. #4 The heart pumps blood through the lungs, where it picks up oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide. This means that the blood vessels in the lungs have high levels of carbon dioxide, and are called arteries.

Heart disease is the #1 killer. However, traditional heart disease protocols--with their emphasis on lowering cholesterol--have it all wrong. Emerging science is showing that cholesterol levels are a poor predictor of heart disease and that standard prescriptions for lowering it, such as ineffective low-fat/high-carb diets and serious, side-effect-causing statin drugs, obscure the real causes of heart disease. Even doctors at leading institutions have been misled for years based on creative reporting of research results from pharmaceutical companies intent on supporting the $31-billion-a-year cholesterol-lowering drug industry. The Great Cholesterol Myth reveals the real culprits of heart disease, including: - Inflammation - Fibrinogen - Triglycerides - Homocysteine - Belly fat - Triglyceride to HCL ratios - High glycemic levels Bestselling health authors Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., and Stephen Sinatra, M.D. give readers a 4-part strategy based on the latest studies and clinical findings for effectively preventing, managing, and reversing heart disease, focusing on diet, exercise, supplements, and stress and anger management. Get proven, evidence-based strategies from the experts with The Great Cholesterol Myth. MYTHS VS. FACTS Myth–High cholesterol is the cause of heart disease. Fact–Cholesterol is only a minor player in the cascade of inflammation which is a cause of heart disease. Myth–High cholesterol is a predictor of heart attack. Fact–There is no correlation between cholesterol and heart attack. Myth–Lowering cholesterol with statin drugs will prolong your life. Fact–There is no data to show that statins have a significant impact on longevity. Myth–Statin drugs are safe. Fact–Statin drugs can be extremely toxic including causing death. Myth–Statin drugs are useful in men, women and the elderly. Fact–Statin drugs do the best job in middle-aged men with coronary disease. Myth–Statin drugs are useful in middle-aged men with coronary artery disease because of its impact on cholesterol. Fact–Statin drugs reduce inflammation and improve blood viscosity (thinning blood). Statins are extremely helpful in men with low HDL and coronary artery disease. Myth–Saturated fat is dangerous. Fact–Saturated fats are not dangerous. The killer fats are the transfats from partially hydrogenated oils. Myth–The higher the cholesterol, the shorter the lifespan. Fact–Higher cholesterol protects you from gastrointestinal disease, pulmonary disease and hemorrhagic stroke. Myth–A high carbohydrate diet protects you from heart disease. Fact–Simple processed carbs and sugars predispose you to heart disease. Myth–Fat is bad for your health. Fact–Monounsaturated and saturated fats protect you from metabolic syndrome. Sugar is the foe in cardiovascular disease. Myth–There is good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol. Fact–This is over-simplistic. You must fractionate LDL and HDL to assess the components. Myth–Cholesterol causes heart disease. Fact–Cholesterol is only a theory in heart disease and only the small component of LP(a) or “bb shot” LDL predisposes one to oxidation and inflammation.

Approximately one-half of the adult population of the United States are being told that they harbor within their bodies a silent killer. This "killer" is cholesterol. Millions are prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs making these pills the most prescribed (and most profitable) medications in the history of American medicine. They are told that these drugs will protect them from the ravages of heart disease. This is patently untrue and can be easily demonstrated by critical analysis of the data presented in the very medical studies that purport to show their benefit. The cholesterol mania that has gripped the country and dominated mainstream medical thought for the past 40 years is based on widespread acceptance of a set of closely related theories variously called the Cholesterol Theory, the Lipid Hypothesis, or the Diet-Heart Theory. The Cholesterol Delusion systematically refutes these prevailing theories that link diet and blood cholesterol levels to coronary heart disease and heart attacks. The Cholesterol Delusion traces the development of these theories from their origins and shows that each step in their evolution was based on faulty evidence and unscientific reasoning. The book then takes it one step further and attacks the very foundation of the "risk factor" paradigm that has dominated cardiovascular research in particular and much of medical research in general for the past 50 years. Written in plain language for the intelligent layman, the arguments are presented in a way that can be easily understood by readers with a limited medical or technical background. The Cholesterol Delusion is must reading for anyone that has been told they have elevated cholesterol levels and/or must take medication to lower them.