If you’ve been to your internist or primary care physician for high cholesterol, chances are you’ve been prescribed a cholesterol-lowering medication called a statin. There are several forms, such as Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, and Vytorin. A recent study in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs cited almost 900 studies showing the adverse effects of these drugs. For example, taking these drugs for an extended period of time can cause mental decline, neuropathy, anemia, frequent fevers, acute pancreatitis, immune system suppression, muscle wasting, cataracts, depression, breast cancer, non-melanoma skin cancer, sexual dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, thyroid dysfunction, congestive heart failure, and impaired mitochondrial function. These, of course, are in addition to the usual side effects like muscle pain and cramping.
Local functional medicine specialist, Dr. Megan Strauchman, helps explain why: “ Statin drugs deplete our bodies of a very powerful antioxidant called coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 for short. This nutrient is essential to maintain normal cardiovascular and mental function, and it is required for our cells to make energy. Over time, chronic CoQ10 deficiencies can lead to very serious health problems. In fact, when a patient in Europe is prescribed a statin drug, they are also automatically prescribed a CoQ10 supplement as well. Canada even has very specific warnings on statin drugs.”
Dr. Strauchman, medical director of the Natural Wellness & Pain Relief Centers in Grand Blanc, prefers to help people balance their cholesterol levels naturally. This, she says, helps people achieve their broader health goals without the potentially serious side effects. She explains, “most people are unaware that cholesterol has nothing to do with the cause of heart disease. In fact, the best current indicator of a heart attack or stroke is a molecule called lipoprotein A. This molecule can build up in the bloodstream and contribute to plaque and excessive clotting, which leads to serious cardiovascular conditions. However, statin drugs do not lower lipoprotein A, and hence statin drugs have not been shown to lower the incidence of an initial heart attack or stroke.”
“There are other methods of making people far healthier than by just lowering their cholesterol,” says Dr. Strauchman. People in our area who are looking for an alternative to dangerous prescription medications are welcome to call her office for more information and to find out how Dr. Strauchman’s functional medicine practice membership can change their lives for the better. Dr. Strauchman is fellowship-trained in anti-aging and functional medicine, and devotes her entire practice to natural treatments and pain management. Her website is www.michiganwellnessandpainrelief.com, or call 810-694-3576.
