Originally published October 13 2005
Doctors warn that statins cannot replace the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Statins, or cholesterol-lowering drugs, are often perceived by users as wonder drugs, but they have limited effects when it comes to controlling triglycerides, which contribute to the hardening of the arteries.
Cholesterol levels are dropping in older Americans, most likely the result of increased use of lipid-lowering drugs called statins.
But experts warn that these drugs are no replacement for lifestyle changes to reduce cardiovascular risk, especially given that triglyceride levels -- fats in the blood -- went up during the same time period.
"Statins are sometimes perceived by their recipients as a credit card to eat indiscriminately," said Dr. Howard Weintraub, co-clinical director of the Lipid Treatment & Research Center at New York University Medical Center.
Weintraub was not involved with the study, which appears in the Oct. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
High total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels are established risk factors for atherosclerosis ('hardening of the arteries') and other cardiovascular problems.
Clinical trials have suggested that a 1 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol reduces the relative risk for coronary heart disease by an equivalent 1 percent.
Previous data had shown declines in total cholesterol levels in U.S. adults between 1960-62 and 1988-94 and in LDL cholesterol levels between 1976-80 and 1988-94.
The total cholesterol levels of adults 20 years or older decreased from 206 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter of blood) in 1988-94 to 203 mg/dL in 1999-2002, while the average LDL cholesterol level decreased from 129 mg/dL to 123 mg/dL during the same time period.
The percentage of adults with total cholesterol levels of at least 240 mg/dL decreased from 20 percent in 1988-94 to 17 percent in 1999-2002, achieving one of the Healthy People 2010 objectives set by the U.S. government.
The prevalence of obesity alone increased from 22.9 to 30.4 percent, trends which likely contributed to triglyceride increases.
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