Cholesterol Lowering Drugs-Statins- Learn How They Work and The Effects They Produce

    Cholesterol lowering drugs - commonly called statins - are being prescribed frequently, but the side effects they produce in the body are not something you want to deal with. What should you do? If you feel caught between a rock and a hard place, answering the following questions should help you decide: 'How do statins work?' and 'Are they effective?'

    How do statins work? Statins inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. This enzyme works in the liver and is essential for producing cholesterol and another co-enzyme called COQ10. When HMG-CoA is inhibited, the liver is inhibited, and cannot perform its functions properly - cholesterol and COQ10 levels in the body are thereby depleted.

    What happens when cholesterol levels are reduced? Cholesterol is a substance that is found in every cell membrane in our bodies. It is the substance that makes our cell walls waterproof. Without sufficient cholesterol, our cell walls become leaky. Studies have shown that low cholesterol rates yield increased rates of cancer. That should not be surprising, since cancer begins at the cell level. Cholesterol is also a repair substance. It is found in all scar tissue, including the scar tissue that is in your arteries -i.e. plaque-which should help us to realize that cholesterol is a symptom of heart disease, not a cause. Cholesterol is also needed by our brains for proper brain function. What am I getting at? Cholesterol is a friend, not a foe. Creating low levels of cholesterol, inhibiting its normal, necessary functions can be very dangerous to your health.

     Statins also interfere with the making of the enzyme COQ10. COQ10, like cholesterol, is found in our cells, and is vital for the creation of ATP in the mitochondria of our cells. The creation of ATP is crucial for cell reproduction, cell repair, for the effective messaging and interaction between our cells -ie- our immune system, and for supporting muscle function. When COQ10 levels are depleted, muscular wasting follows. Since the heart is a muscle, it is directly affected when COQ10 is limited. Though statins are taken to reduce cholesterol levels and thereby increase heart function, indirectly they may decrease heart function by altering COQ10 levels. It is an interesting statistic to note that deaths due to heart failure doubled from 1989-1997.1 Statins were introduced to the American public in 1987.
    Do statins work? It depends on what you want them to do. Yes, they lower cholesterol levels.
    Do they prevent heart disease? Let's take a look at three studies that have recently been taken.