High cholesterol does NOT cause ischaemic CVD, such as heart attacks and strokes

The scam of the century!

You do not need Lipitor™, Zocor™, Pravachol™, Mevacor™, Crestor™ or any other cholesterol-lowering statin drug, because the root CAUSE of coronary heart disease and other ischaemic cardiovascular diseases is NOT cholesterol.   In  order to sell you a solution to this frightening "death threat", you have been sold the multi-billion dollar scam of the century.

BTW, you also don't need beta blockers (reduce heart rate by diminishing the effects of adrenaline and other stress hormones) or calcium channel blockers (which lower blood pressure by relaxing the muscles in artery walls by blocking the entrance of calcium into muscle cells, but also block essential heart and blood vessel functions).

Cholesterol and saturated fats are NOT the "Darth Vader" of ischaemic cardiovascular disease

Elevated blood cholesterol and saturated fats have been showcased as the major culprits causing arterial plaque leading to arterial occlusion and ischaemic CVD, with its consequential strokes, heart attacks, angina, arrythmia,  thrombosis/embolism, HBP and coronary heart disease (CHD). But, read on . . .

This is simply NOT true!

Unproven hypothesis that dietary saturated fat ==> high cholesterol ==> heart disease is wrong

"The diet-heart hypothesis has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit and prejudice, the hypothesis continues to be exploited by scientists, fund-raising enterprises, food companies and even governmental agencies. THE PUBLIC IS BEING DECEIVED BY THE GREATEST HEALTH SCAM OF THE CENTURY."

-   George Mann, SsD, MD, Former Co-Director, Framingham Heart Study

The dietary fat-heart disease hypothesis (sometimes referred to as the lipid hypothesis),  relies on two parts (both UNPROVEN):

Unproven PART (1):  Consuming dietary saturated fats increases levels of cholesterol in the blood

Unproven PART (2):  Having elevated cholesterol levels in the blood causes heart disease

Dietary saturated fat / heart disease hypothesis is wrong

Neither part (1) or part (2) of the diet-heart hypothesis could be proven.   This left just a weak association with high LDL blood levels, but the parties who stood to gain from the theory simply jumped from this weak association - to a cause. The general public were none the wiser, putting their trust in doctors (who maybe should have read their medical journals a little closer).

Available evidence from randomized controlled trials shows that replacement of saturated fat with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes. 

Clearly, there is more to the cholesterol/heart disease story, because CVD occurs even with normal total cholesterol levels.   It is a complicated story, involving a great deal more than just so-called "good" and "bad" cholesterol, and yet, the simplistic, but confusing, half-told version suits those making mega-profits from lowering cholesterol with drugs, whilst disregarding the harmful consequences of those drugs.

The medical system advocates the use of drugs to lower cholesterol/blood pressure and invasive procedures (e.g. stents, angioplasties and bypass surgeries) to extend the lives of just a few of those who already have cardiovascular disease . . .

Drug solutions are not preventing CVD occurrence or solving the root problems, and the side-effects of statin drugs are increasing the risk of dying from other causes

Statins Don't Save Lives

High blood levels of one particular type of cholesterol do indicate an association with atherosclerosis

A very "sticky"cholesterol-based protein, called Lipoprotein (a)   (or Lp(a) ) is involved in heart disease, but NOT as a cause.   Lp(a)  is the "Repair Man" who arrives at the scene of injury to an artery lining to "patch up" the damage, and thus save your life by preventing bleeding out through the blood vessel wall.    Lp(a) "seizes" platelets, calcium, fibrinogen (forms fibrin for blood clots) and LDL cholesterol from the blood, creating a protective plaque to repair chronic / ongoing inflammatory damage to artery walls.

According to a 2003 Oxford university study published in an American Heart Association journal, high Lp(a) levels are linked to a 70% probability of heart attack or stroke.   Lp(a) is a very "sticky" protein made up of an LDL cholesterol with a protein (apolipoprotein a) wrapped around it. Data was gathered from 27 studies tracking > 5,200 people (average age 50) over 10 years, who had heart disease or survived a heart attack (the study compared the number of heart attacks suffered by individuals with the highest Lp(a) concentrations, with the number of heart attacks among those with the lowest Lp(a) readings).

Lp(a) - "The Repair Man" in atherosclerosis

The real cause of ischaemic CVD

Damage to arterial wall consequential to:

•   Oxidative stressors.   E.g. emotional stress, microbes, toxins, free radicals, high blood sugar;

•   Relative deficiency of dietary antioxidants compared to oxidative stressors.   Antioxidants include: Vitamins A, C, E, D and beta-carotene, and their cofactors, such as selenium and zinc.

•   Weak arterial wall.   Primarily due to insufficient dietary vitamin C;

If your artery walls are damaged, an inflammatory process occurs:

•  Your blood vessels constrict to keep you from bleeding to death;

•  Your blood becomes thicker so it can clot;

•  Your immune system sends cells and chemicals to fight infecting viruses, bacteria and other irritants;

•  Cells multiply to repair the damage;

•  A scar may form, known as atherosclerotic plaque.

•  The plaque, thickening blood, and blood vessel constriction can increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks.

If cells have been damaged, the liver is alerted to produce more cholesterol to be released into the bloodstream for delivery to the damage site (increasing LDL cholesterol levels).    LDL cholesterol (actually only the small dense ones that can squeeze through the arterial wall) becomes oxidized in the process of repairing a damaged arterial lining, developing into foam cells, which can form fatty streaks, which can later develop into artery-blocking plaque if the damage continues unheeded.

It makes sense then, that it would NOT be a smart move to lessen the amount of cholesterol in your blood, when your body is trying to use it to heal you.  Instead, the sensible thing to do is to stop the damage from occurring in the first place

To find out more about what is causing ischaemic CVD, peripheral artery disease (PAD), and coronary artery disease (CAD) and how to deal with them:

Atherosclerosis

CVD - A Simple Cure

Tools against CVD