Cholesterol:
the Good, the Bad and the Awful

Cholesterol always gets a bad rap—and it should. But it's important to understand that cholesterol is a fatty acid that is naturally found in the brain, nerves, liver, blood and bile—and is needed to build cell membranes, insulate nerves, produce vitamin D, hormones, and bile acid for digestion. It even helps provide antioxidant protection when your vitamin and mineral stores are low. Cholesterol is so crucial, in fact, that each cell is equipped with the means to synthesize its own membrane cholesterol, regulating the fluidity of those membranes when they are too loose or too stiff. 1

Necessary for hormone production

The steroid hormones, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are manufactured from cholesterol. Also, adrenal corticosteroid hormones, which regulate water balance through the kidneys, and cortisone, the anti-inflammatory hormone that also controls our stress response, all come from cholesterol.

Normally, the liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. Problem is, because of our poor dietary habits and sedentary life styles, we produce way too much cholesterol … which increases our risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. Also, some people have a genetic disposition to high cholesterol levels.

A cholesterol primer

Cholesterol is carried in blood in the form of substances called lipoproteins. Cardiovascular risk can be assessed by measuring total blood cholesterol, as well as the proportions of the different types of lipoproteins.

Total cholesterol is the most common measure of blood cholesterol and the only number many people get from their doctor. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood. A total cholesterol reading less than 200 mg/dL means a lower risk of heart disease, which everyone should try to attain. (Although cholesterol is not the only marker for heart disease risk. See "How Much Do You Know About Heart Health?") 200-239 is borderline high cholesterol, and 240 and over is high cholesterol.

Lipoproteins
HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, helps carry cholesterol out of the body, including cholesterol deposited inside blood vessels, where it may block the flow of blood. If there is too much cholesterol for the HDLs to pick up, or an inadequate supply of HDLs, cholesterol may aggregate into plaque groups that block arteries. Those blockages are the main cause of heart attacks. Remember that higher is healthier. A reading of less than 40 is low, at or greater than 60 is high, and having a level of 60 or greater is considered a "negative" risk factor that can offset another risk factor.
LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, hauls cholesterol from the liver to all cells in the body. Remember that lower is healthier. A reading of less than 100 is optimal; 100-129 is near or above optimal; 130-159, borderline high; 160-189, high; 190 or great is very high.

Rule of thumb: You want to raise your HDL and lower your LDL.
Triglycerides make up most of the body's fat, and are the storehouse for energy. Edible oils from seeds, egg yolk and animal fats also are composed mainly of triglycerides. They may not be as corrosive as LDL, but excess triglycerides exacerbate heart disease potential when they oxidize and damage artery linings or induce blood cells to clump. A reading of under 100 is optimal; under 200 is normal; 200-400 is borderline high; over 400 is high.

When high triglycerides and low HDL occur together, risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart and kidney failure and other degenerative diseases increase.

In fact, another up-and-coming index of heart disease risk is your triglyceride-to-HDL ratio. A ratio of less than 2 is considered good.

The best ways to lower your triglyceride levels are: 1) to reduce your intake of carbohydrate, especially sugar and starch foods and 2) to take a high-quality fish oil product.

The new cholesterol guidelines

In May 2001 27 of America's top cholesterol experts issued new guidelines. This is only the second time the National Institutes of Health has revised its guidelines for preventing heart disease. Here are the highlights:

While artery-clogging, low-density lipoproteins are still considered the chief target for diet and therapy, the report from the National Cholesterol Education Program established new parameters for HDL cholesterol. Any HDL level below 40, rather than 35, is now considered low. This sets up a new risk-assessment regime for everyone starting at age 20.
A complete lipoprotein profile should be done every five years, beginning at age 20. This covers total LDL, HDL and triglycerides.
Reduce saturated fat intake to less than 7% of total calories and cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg a day. Add more vegetables and 10-25 grams of soluble fiber to your diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans). Exercise regularly, and reduce weight. Men should keep their waistlines smaller than 40 inches, and women smaller than 35.
People with diabetes who do not have heart disease are in the same high-risk category as those who already have heart disease

According to NDS Health, a health-care information services company based in Atlanta, more than 110 million prescriptions were written for statin drugs in 2001. But they're expensive … and they're not without risk.

The hidden side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs

Unfortunately, like most pharmaceuticals, these drugs usually have side effects. The symptoms vary depending on what type of cholesterol drug is being taken, but they include:

Hot flashes
Nausea
Allergic reaction (skin rashes)
Heartburn
Dizziness
Abdominal pain
Constipation
Decreased sexual desire
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Indigestion
Gas
Peptic ulcers
Gout
High blood sugar
Bloating
Cholesterol gallstones

In addition to the above side effects, some drugs may carry the risk of serious side effects, such as:

Rhabdomyolysis - a muscle condition that can cause kidney failure
Muscle pain or weakness
Liver abnormalities 2

How do statins work?

Statins all work by the same mechanism: they inhibit a liver enzyme called HMG CoA reductase that enables the liver to make cholesterol. The liver is the body's main source of cholesterol. But when the liver can not make its own, it removes cholesterol from the blood to fulfill your body's other needs for cholesterol, as previously described (see "Necessary for hormone production"). Ideally, blood levels of cholesterol decrease, which reduces the tendency for arteries to become clogged with fatty deposits.

Statin Hazard

In a clinical advisory issued recently, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood warned doctors about possible serious adverse effects and factors that could increase the risk of statin-caused muscle disorders.

In fact, in January 2002 Bayer Pharmaceutical announced that its cholesterol drug Baycol has been linked to approximately 100 deaths since its withdrawal from the market in August 2001, and Baycol was recalled after it was linked to about 40 deaths in the US. Bayer is currently facing several lawsuits from patients who were injured while taking the drug. 3

New York Times health writer Jane E. Brody recently reported (December 10, 2002) that last summer an 82-year-old Kansas woman died as a result of an undetected muscle disease caused by the statin she had been taking for years to control her cholesterol.

During the entire time she was taking it, the woman had muscle pains that doctors never attributed to the drug. "She even had a shoulder operation, which did nothing, of course, to cure the drug-induced pain that might have been correctly diagnosed through a simple blood test," wrote Brody. "Then she was mistreated with an anti-fungal agent for skin lesions that actually resulted, not from a fungus, but from the muscle breakdown caused by the drug."

It's been shown that when anti-fungals are combined with statins, they can greatly increase the risk and severity of muscle disorders. "Within three months, the woman's condition worsened and she became so weak she could not stand or breathe on her own. Two weeks later, she was dead," reported Brody.

Public Citizen Calls for Stronger Warnings on Statins

Statins may also cause a liver disorder in about one percent of patients. Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, has petitioned the FDA for stronger warnings on all statin drugs in the wake of the August 2001 recall of Baycol. The petition asks the FDA to include a warning that muscle pain or weakness can lead to muscle damage.

What's wrong with this picture?

Consider this metaphor: You're flying an airplane and one of the meters indicates that the airplane is going down rapidly and that you're going to plunge to the ground in minutes. You pull out your handgun and shoot the meter, destroying not only the meter but causing damage to other electrical equipment. There! Problem solved, right? Obviously not.

The situation with statin drugs is strikingly similar yet apparently this isn't obvious to the conventional medical system. Cholesterol is just a risk factor, one of many. Sure, you'd like to see that high reading come down, but - and here is the most important message of this article - you want that reading to come down for the right reasons. You want your cholesterol to come down as a result of an overall improvement in your health.

The easy, proven and effective way to normalize cholesterol levels —without ANY side effects—is with Policosanol. It is a safe, natural substance that improves overall health … and you'll really see those cholesterol readings improve.

Reduce cholesterol with Policosanol and see the amazing results!

See This Article of Interest from
Smart Publications Health & Wellness Update

Policosanol: Start Improving Your Cholesterol Today …

References:

Vella, C.A., Kravitz, L., & Janot, J.M. (2001). A review of the impact of exercise on cholesterol levels. IDEA Health & Fitness Source, 19, 10, p. 48. Retrieved March 26, 2002 from Expanded Academic ASAP.
Lane, Jane, "Cholesterol Conundrum," Energy Times Feb. 1999, pg. 53.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6556510/

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Cholesterol:the Good, the Bad and the Awful