[quote]drew1021 wrote:
I don’t usually post on here, but there is some irresponsible misinformation being propagated here (not you, Stronghold, your replies are quite reasonable).
First, statin drugs are quite simply the drugs that have the strongest evidence available for reduction of mortality for coronary artery disease, in both primary and secondary prevention (that is, for people without a history of CAD and those who already have it, respectively). I don’t know where some people get the idea that statins don’t reduce mortality.
Here are some references from some of the most respected journals today:
Another commonly mentioned (and false) statement is that the reason statins are so widely prescribed is that it’s all about the money for doctors and pharmaceutical companies. This is clearly not always the case. You can go to Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Target, etc. and get 4 dollar a month prescriptions for pravastatin or lovastatin, and if you cough up a few more dollars, you can get simvastatin. This is as cheap as buying fish oil, if not more so. The newer and more potent ones like rosuvastatin and atorvastatin which aren’t yet generic are the expensive ones. You can always ask your doc to prescribe one of the cheap ones. The reason why statins are prescribed is that they work.
Finally, nobody on these forums ever mentions the fact that LDL lowering is not the only property of statins that is important. In fact, many people would argue that the non-lipid lowering effects, namely atherosclerotic plaque stabilization and possibly reduction of inflammation, impart a substantial proportion of the benefit that statins provide for users of them. No other class of medication that I am aware of including niacin, omega 3’s, fibrates, or fiber has the important effect of strengthening the coronary plaques that you already have and make them less likely to rupture and cause a heart attack.
I am not claiming that statins are a miracle drug–they definitely have the potential to cause liver enzyme elevations or myalgias, but that is in the minority of users. But to dismiss them as a whole simply because they are prescribed by doctors, or because a friend/family member had muscle aches on one would be short sighted.
For the original poster, he’s still a teenager and likely does not need aggressive lipid lowering therapy unless he has a family history of familial hypercholesterolemia. He should focus on not eating sugar/refined carbs, moderating saturated fat intake, and doing high intensity cardio.[/quote]
Great post!
You can also get atorvastatin (Lipitor) for $4 at Wal-mart, I will be making the switch to Lipitor from Crestor (THAT is expensive!) after my next physical for that precise reason. Another thing to note is that statin drugs are often prescribed at dosages much higher than what is necessary if the patient is going to be engaging in long-term use. I am going to push my doctor to start me on a low dose with the atorvastatin as he previously had me on 40mg of Crestor/day! For someone with lifestyle related high cholesterol, I could see a high dose being a good short term fix, but I have a family history of hypercholesterolemia and will be on statins for the rest of my life most likely, so I don’t see the need for placing such a heavy burden on my liver and other organs by continuing with a high dosage like that.
[quote]BulletproofTiger wrote:
Gotcha. Thanks. But do you think everyone gets 1 gram of fish oil daily, every day? Anyway, that still doesn’t resolve the issue I have with what you wrote earlier about lipitor. The research shows that statin drugs did not lower the risk of death, so what is the point of them exactly?
**Edit: Sorry. That was a reading comprehension fail.[/quote]
I think that those who are making SOME effort to eat healthfully (ie: not pounding down on the McDonalds every day) and aren’t totally minimizing their fat intake will meet the daily suggested intake of omega-3, especially with the recent trend towards including omega-3 in EVERYTHING. If individuals aren’t making that minimal effort to eat healthfully, then they have bigger problems than whether or not to supplement.
That being said, I think fish oil is a worthwhile expense for anyone interested in their health. There is no detrimental effect caused by consuming more than the RDI of omega-3 (within reason, of course) so a few grams of fish oil each day in addition to a healthy diet “just to cover the bases” is a good idea. Sort of like how I still take my superfood despite eating 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and take creatine despite eating at least a lb of red meat per day. It’s not a magic bullet, but it’s a good idea.
