CHOLESTEROL MYTH: BEST LINE OF TREATMENT IS WITH A STATIN DRUG
CHOLESTEROL MYTH: BEST LINE OF TREATMENT IS WITH A STATIN DRUG
Fact:
Statins are still the most common line of treatment for elevated cholesterol levels; however, heart disease is a lifestyle disease. Stress, diet, exercise, body weight, blood pressure, inflammation, and cholesterol can all play a role in your risk! In fact it is only diet and exercise that can reverse heart disease and atherosclerotic plaque. Every 6 pounds of weight loss can increase your HDL (good cholesterol) by 1 point and this acts as a broom to clean out your arteries! Lifestyle medicine should be implemented for optimal disease prevention. If we are taking a statin drug, it is important to monitor for deficiency of vitamin D, serotonin, coenzyme-Q10, and testosterone. Since statins block the production of all these hormones, neurotransmitters, and antioxidants, we need to be sure to replenish possible deficiency.
