If you are an athlete and you take statin drugs (Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Crestor, etc.) to help you control your cholesterol, you might be doing more to create a heart attack than prevent one.

In a study carried out in Austria, only six out of 22 athletes with familial hypercholesterolemia were able to endure statin treatment. The others discontinued treatment because of muscle pain. It can cause a condition called rhabdomyolysis. This is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents into the blood circulation, which can be toxic to the kidneys and result in myoglobinuria and kidney damage. That is why your doctor is constantly doing blood tests on you to see if your kidneys and liver are being damaged.

Rhabdomyolysis is most likly caused by a depletion of something called Coenzyme Q-10. Your body makes this naturally but it is depleted by taking a cholesterol lowering drug or statin. This results in muscle weakness and pain. The heart is a muscle that needs to stay strong and healthy. Without Co-Q10, your chances of getting a heart attack are greater.

To read more about this and the devastating effects of statin drugs, click on the following link:

The Cholesterol Conspiracy

Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease. (Google Dr. Mary Enig..world leading lipid biochemist). When Paul Dudley White introduced the electrocardiogram machine to his colleagues at Harvard med school in the early 1900's, they advised him to find a field of medicine where there were patients. CHD is the byproduct of the corrupted food supply (junk-food/drink carbohydrate) that causes the body to overproduce insulin (hyperinsulinemia) which damages the subfractions(particles) that comprise the LDL. Instead of healthy ,large ,fluffy flakes, the damaged ,tightly compressed particles get trapped in the gap junction of the cells lining the arterial wall. Any molecule that stops moving through the system will oxidize(think rust), inflame and cause problems. The only thing that modulates particle size is diet. When you restrict cholesterol intake, the body goes into shock and starts producing Hydroxy Methyl Glutaryl CoA Reductase, an enzyme that converts carbohydrate into cholesterol. Statin drugs attempt to inhibit this process. Unfortunately, statins also stimulate the expression of the atrogin-1 gene that causes the the muscles to atrophy(Google Dr. Vikas Sukhatme). The heart is a muscle. Statins also inhibit the production of Co Q-10, the very enzyme that gives life/energy to cells. For details on this simply Google... Danger of Statin Drugs. Also Google... Dr. Duane Graville... whose wife found him wandering around, lost and suffering from transient global amnesia in his own backyard three weeks after taking Lipitor. If the legislation before Congress doesn't pass(no one can be sued if a med has FDA approval), a wave of suits against big Pharma and med community will surface. People with high cholesterol live longer than people with low cholesterol. 500 million people are on Statins. Statins and the Cholesterol myth will go down as one of the biggest boondoggles in medical history.

Hello! I work for a corporate wellness company and advise on cholesteral everyday. All this information is very thourogh and great information! If I may please offer some very basic information about cholesterol that might me easier to understand Cholesterol is mainly affected by high amounts of fried foods, saturated fats, excessive amounts of red meats and cheeses. An ideal number for our overall cholesteral should be at 200. With in cholesteral we have to main componants. HDL= the good healthy cholesterol. Our bodies do not produce much of this so we need to get it from foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids or fish oils. Richest sources of this come from tuna and salmon, can also be found in almonds, walnuts, olive oil, and avocado. These " healthy, good" fats will keep our HDL numbers nice and high, ideally at around 50 or higher, in addition to supporting other functions with in our bodies. LDL is the "bad" cholesterol coming from those high fat food. Basically with this, incorporating fiber (23-35 g/day) in your diet with keep this number down (100 or lower) In addition, exercise with also influence these numbers.