A joint venture between Merck & Co. and Johnson & Johnson is planning to ask the FDA for permission to sell Mevacor, one of the first statin drugs, over the counter. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. may also seek over-the-counter status for its statin drug, Pravachol, in the future.
The FDA has not yet reached a verdict but signs indicate that they are ready to consider the issue again.
Wall Street Journal November 11, 2003
Are statin drugs safe enough to be sold over the counter? If you believe the medical experts nearly everyone should consume them.
As I wrote in another newsletter issue, with at least 12 million Americans taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, mostly statins, and experts’ recommendations that another 23 million should be taking them, it’s no wonder that the drug companies are scrambling to get their piece of the pie by releasing new and "improved" statin drugs. Now the drug companies are working to get the doctor out of the equation altogether and convince the consumer through direct advertising in order to sell their pill solutions.
What the experts don't realize is that statins kill people--lots of people--and they wound many, many more. All patients taking statins become depleted in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) eventually--those patients who start with relatively low CoQ10 levels (the elderly and patients with heart failure) begin to manifest signs/symptoms of CoQ10 deficiency relatively rapidly--in six to 12 months. Younger patients can tolerate the statins for several years before they begin developing symptoms.
The bottom line here is that when you treat the symptoms of high cholesterol with a drug you are in no way, shape or form treating the cause. It should come as no surprise that the artificial drugs cause serious side effects.
Why risk your health by taking drugs when there are some simple things you can do to normalize cholesterol levels?
The first is to normalize your insulin levels by eliminating sugar and grains. This works for most people unless they have a genetic defect called familial hypercholsterolemia. On a side note, eliminating sugar and grains will inevitably cause beneficial side effects, such as normalizing your weight, increasing your energy and lowering your blood pressure and triglycerides. You can find out more about this by reading through my nutrition plan.
Secondly, 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.
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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