A new cholesterol-lowering statin drug, Crestor, will soon be hitting the market, joining its highly successful competitors Lipitor and Zocor. In 2002, statin drugs brought in $13 billion in sales. At least 12 million U.S. adults take cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Crestor, known generically as rosuvastatin, is manufactured by AstraZeneca. The drug may be slightly better than other statins at raising good cholesterol levels and may also be more powerful than the other statin drugs.
However, the highest, 80-milligram dose of Crestor could not be approved because of serious side effects including muscle and kidney damage. Some say the drug may produce side effects even at lower doses, and caution that patients should be closely monitored when on the drug.
All statin drugs can cause an increase in liver enzymes so patients must be monitored for normal liver function. Statins can also cause muscle aches, weakness and, rarely, a dangerous degenerative muscle tissue condition called rhabdomyolysis.
Washington Post August 12, 2003; Page HE01
The statin drugs used to lower cholesterol are the most widely used drugs in the country. If you were to believe the "experts," half of Americans should be placed on these statin drugs.
You may also think cholesterol is an evil substance and that most of us would benefit from lowering our cholesterol as much as possible, but this is not so.
Cholesterol is a vitally important substance that is responsible for building our cell membranes and many of our hormones. If the level drops too low we are actually at increased risk for depression.
If you aren't familiar with the dangers and inappropriateness of statin drugs then you should review my article on the truth about cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Drugs are rarely the solution for high cholesterol. Well over 99 percent of people can normalize their cholesterol levels by restricting grains and sugars. There are only a handful of people with genetic issues who require statin drugs, and their cholesterol levels are typically 350 or higher.
In addition to restricting grains and sugars, which you can read more about in my book The No-Grain Diet, there are some simple things you can do to normalize cholesterol levels.
You can take a high-quality fish oil that is chock full of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to find a fish oil that is independently tested by a lab and found to conform to purity guidelines. This will ensure that the oil is free of mercury and other toxins. One such brand, which I have found to be of superior quality, is Carlson’s fish and cod liver oil, and I now offer this exceptional fish oil/cod liver oil to you in my "Recommended Products" section. You may also be able to find it in your local health food store.
Additionally, if you are a man, or a woman who is in menopause, you should check your iron levels as elevated levels of iron can raise cholesterol levels and cause major oxidative damage in the blood vessels, heart and other organs. Excess iron is also one of the major contributing factors of cancer risk.
Regular exercise is another important tool that may reduce your risk of heart disease.
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