I am pleased to announce the release of my 13th book, The Statin Disaster. Statins are the most profitable drugs in the history of Big Pharma. Currently, 28% of all American adults take a statin medication. If we follow the new cholesterol guidelines released by the American Academy of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, all men age 70 and over and approximately 70% of women over the age of 65 would be prescribed a statin medication.
Why did I write a book about statins? I wrote this book to inform you that statins fail nearly 99% of those who take them—in other words, 99% of the patients taking a statin medication will not receive any cardiac or longevity benefits. I know that is a shocking statement, but it is true. It is my belief that statins should be pulled from the market and no one should be prescribe or take them. How can I make statements like that? It is very simple. Studying and understanding how statins work should lend any logically-thinking person to question the wisdom of taking a statin drug.
Statins work by poisoning the enzyme HMG CoA reductase. Poisoning this enzyme not only lowers the cholesterol level, it also leads to a cascade of biochemical problems. This includes lowering Coenzyme Q10 levels as well as inhibiting the production of other important substances that help prevent DNA errors, muscle breakdown and weakness. Chapter 6 discusses the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and shows you what happens to the body’s biochemistry when you take a statin medication.
Chapter 9 discusses the adverse effects of statins. After you learn how statins disrupt the normal biochemical pathways, it is not hard to predict what side effects could occur from taking a statin medication. The side effects from statin medications are many and include very serious conditions including: ALS, breast cancer, congestive heart failure, muscle weakness, brain dysfunction, diabetes, and neurological disorders.
Statins are so widely prescribed, they must work in the majority of those who take them—right? Wrong. In Chapter 7, I discuss how Big Pharma has literally hoodwinked physicians and others into believing statins are beneficial in preventing heart attacks and saving lives. In fact, the truth is the opposite: Statins fail nearly 99% of those who take them.
What’s the positive benefit of taking a statin drug? In the best of the studies, statins have been shown to have approximately a 1% chance of reducing your risk of having a heart attack if you take the drug for at least 3-5 years. That is if you are a man. For a woman, the statin statistics are worse.
In The Statin Disaster, I discuss the importance of maintaining adequate cholesterol levels, particularly in the elderly. Lowered cholesterol levels in anyone over the age of 55 has been shown to be associated with a host of serious problems including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, there are many studies that indicate higher cholesterol levels predict a longer lifespan in the elderly.
The use of statin drugs are an example of why our medical system is failing us. Conventional medicine relies on the use of too many expensive and ineffective drugs that are associated with far too many adverse effects. We spend more on prescription drugs (including statins) than any other country. And, we are not healthier for it. If you or a loved one are on a statin medication, I suggest educating yourself about what this drug is doing to the body. Once you become knowledgeable about how statins work and the research behind them, I am sure you will come to the same conclusion I have; there is no reason for anyone to take a statin medication.
I will be offering my book for a 10% discount through the end of March. The discount will be automatically applied to your order.
And finally, please send me your comments after you read it.
DrB
Thanks for writing this much needed book. Can I ask if it contains measures to recover once statins are ceased? My Mum seems to be having liver/kidney issues & I am quite alarmed. She has had neuropathy for years but insisted on continuing the statins. Has now stopped but I fear damage is irreversible? I have encouraged her to take CoQ10 which she does now, but didn’t for a couple of years, whcih of course resulted in heart failure. If your book has positive steps forward for after statins I would be very keen to read it. Thank you! x
Kaye,
Statin damage can be irreversible. But, it is important to take CoQ10 and have your mom evaluated by a holistic practitioner who can check her for B-vitamin and other issues related to neuropathy.
DrB
Rising cholesterol is a symptom and not a disorder on its own; it is a sign the liver isn’t functioning properly. Hypothyroidism is an under-diagnosed disorder. Hypothyroidism causes all sorts of problems around the body including liver dysfunction and one symptom of Hypothyroidism is rising cholesterol.
Women are more likely (10x) to get Hypothyroidism than men but the disorder is not exclusively seen in women; my uncle was born with it, he has learning difficulties, my brother too and my father got it later in life. Interestingly my whole family have it, including grandmother , the mother of my affected uncle, my mother daughter of same grandmother and my sisters too. I have it and so too my daughter and I suspect my grandson does too. So there is a family connection. there are however, other reasons for getting low thyroid function/hormone and that includes pollution, fluorides (in toothpaste and water etc.,) radiation (chernobyl etc.,) and so on. The other important reason for people getting rising cholesterol is a response to stress which impacts thyroid hormone. High levels of Cortisol such as during chronic stress, will block thyroid hormone accessing the cells around the body; in the liver the result is rising cholesterol. Who in the Western world isn’t suffering from stress? Then there is the fact that as we age thyroid function deteriorates.
Hypothyroidism has been linked to heart disease since 1800’s but this information seems to have been forgotten….coincidentally allowing Big Pharma to make billions in profit. My whole family have suffered heart disease and I believe that is because they have been wrongly treated or not treated at all for their main problem of Hypothyroidism. Incidentally they all take Statins which are contraindicated in Hypothyroidism!
Yes it is true if you have Hypothyroidism you get rising cholesterol and you suffer heart disease but one doesn’t cause the other. Hypothyroidism causes chronic inflammation around the body including arteries. When this happens the body goes on high alert and sets up an anti-inflammatory response; this includes cholesterol attending the damaged site to help repair the damage.
Taking the right type of thyroid hormone supplements such as Natural Desiccated Thyroid hormone usually from pigs and T3, though a synthetic form of the hormone it works well especially when taken alongside NDT. T4 only treatment is less good at resolving the symptoms of Hypothyroidism. This is of course good for the pharmaceutical companies and drs as they profit from illness. Hypothyroidism will produce a myriad of symptoms, if you consult a Dr who is interested in profit or ignorant of thyroid treatments then it is likely the individual Hypothyroid sufferer will end up taking a myriad of drugs in response to symptoms and not the underlying disorder.
Inflammation causes heart disease not cholesterol. Cholesterol is more than a bystander it is found at the site of damage because it is trying to repair the body’s damage. If the body produces cholesterol why would we want to stop our body doing that? Cholesterol is essential to life – statins are not.
Statins cause heart disease amongst other seriously and deadly side effects. Myopathy affects muscle function do remember your heart is a muscle. Statins cause muscle failure/ heart failure. My mother died of heart failure – it is a most distressing way to die as the lungs fill with bodily fluids and no oxygen can enter in effect you drown in your own body fluid – slowly. Statins kill you; this may not happen with the first tablets but certainly within 5-7 years of taking it you will be suffering dementia, memory loss, neuropathy and myopathy, liver dysfunction and kidneys dysfunction…to name a few. Others report Diabetes and eye disorders etc. the list is endless because cholesterol is needed in many places around the body for the body to function well. Further stopping cholesterol manufacture in the body impacts on other systems too such as Dolichols and CoQ10…..and more we don’t yet understand. If you take statins stop them it will not harm you stopping them immediately. It is likely your cholesterol levels are not so high since the drugs companies over the years have influenced a lowering of so called ‘normal’ cholesterol levels. the lower the so called ‘normal’ levels the more drugs they sell.
Dr.,
Sorry for posting this here as its another subject, but what happened to Iordoral? People are saying they can’t find it and my Dr. quit carrying it as well.
Thanks
I left my primary care physician because he insisted that I take statins for high cholesterol. I explained that I had been under extreme stress recently and that could contribute to the higher than normal number, and he actually laughed at me. I traded him in for an Osteopath who is much more open-minded and savvy.
Good choice, Maggie.
DrB
Hi Dr. B;
Looking forward to reading yet another wonderful book from you! I have many of them in my library for client resources.
Hoping you’ll write one about vaccination next.
Thanks for all you do.
Deborah
Thanks for the nice comments, Deborah. That is on my list.
DrB
Dr. B, What are you thoughts on the use of a different class of drug, the fibrates such as Tricor? Thanks!
Roger,
The fibrates have never been shown to save lives. In fact, their failure rate is worse (if you can believe worse than 99%!) than statins.
DrB
I certainly wish a book like this had been available 25 years ago when I was prescribed a statin as it was the latest prescription craze and my internist was zealous about everyone taking a statin. Live and learn. I began to have muscle pain, fatigue and weakness after just a couple months on Pravacol. When I complained, he said “nonsense, I’ve never heard of any problems”… but changed my Rx to the other statin, Zocor. I had even worse problems so I stopped after telling him that I took no other drugs so it had to be the source of my leg weakness which was so severe I was unable to hop on one foot. I still can’t to this day. I also can’t help wondering if mitochondrial damage by statins may have contributed to the onset of Afib as well. Beware of the long-term effects if you are taking a statin.
Incidentally, as Dr. B notes, very low cholesterol levels over the age of 55 are associated with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. I have two friends who began early onset Alzheimer’s around age 60. One is tiny, thin and took a statin since she was 50 and is now in late stage Alzheimer’s in a nursing home for the last 3 years. The other – slim and athletic – had naturally low cholesterol levels (below 150) all her life and developed dementia around age 60 . She is now totally impaired 10 years later with Alzheimer’s with home healthcare at least for now. Very sad on many levels
I was prescribed 4 different types of statins over several years, all in low doses, but I had very adverse effects from all of them. I developed weakness and muscle pain all over my body, painful feet, leg pain at night, and had a significant worsening of irritable bowel syndrome. I felt many years older than my true age. On my own, I began to stop taking the statins for a couple of weeks at a time, and my symptoms would quickly diminish. My cholesterol did go up again however. I did some research and found that 17% of people who take statins get “statin-induced myopathy” and I have repeatedly discussed this with my doctor. He advised me to stay on a 1-3 times weekly dose, but the symptoms recurred even on a low dose. I finally just stopped taking the statins altogether about 4-5 months ago. What a huge difference in my musculoskeletal health and bowel health! No more unexplained muscle or joint pain, no leg pain at night, no foot pain (I can walk barefoot again), and the IBS is now in remission as well! I am stronger and can bend,stoop, and lift without pain or weakness. I feel like myself again! Thanks Dr B for speaking the truth about statins!
Mary, good luck with your new way of eating, you are doing the right and best things. Sugar is the culprit not healthy saturated fats, and we NEED our cholesterol. Check out my Facebook page “I Love my Cholesterol,”, where I have posted as much info I can find on cholesterol being the misunderstood good guy and the evil of statins. I shall be linking this page there to promote Dr B’s new book.
Husband went off his meds after a year. People looked at us like we should be shuttled off to a fema camp, but he was getting sick from them. I’ve been renovating our eating for several years now. After my husband’s heart attack I started reading all I could about it and the natural ways of healing. We discovered that cholesterol is actually the good guy. It’s grains and sugars that seem to be the bigger problem. Well, go figure for him. He drank sodas instead of water, and every evening before bed he’d make a vanilla shake. I rarely have ice cream at all and stopped drinking sodas when I took up scuba diving. Too many bubbles to deal with! Even though I’m over weight, I tend to eat like my grandpa; bacon and eggs etc. I had no buildup of anything on my arteries, and all valves are strong. This was last year and I’m 63 this year. My husband was a mess on statins. When he went off them I told him we’d have to find out how to undo the damage they caused. That’s where I’m at now, rebuilding from the statin damage. Well, I just made my first non-grain oatmeal today using cauliflower, coconut milk, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, and free range eggs I get locally. We topped it off with blueberries and pecans. What a great substitute! I’m hooked now. I can’t wait to tell my friends about this book. And I’m even happier that my husband is still around to share the fun.
use red rice yeast to lower ldl, look it up, it worked for me. 66 year old heart surgery survivor. buy otc at krogers, or anywhere, cheap, natural
Brian,
Artificially lowering LDL with red rice yeast may not be in your best interest as LDL has many positive actions in the body such as fighting infections. I discuss this in my book.
DrB
The following article by Jon Barron also discusses statin drug damage and lack of benefits:
http://jonbarron.org/heart-health/cholesterol-does-not-cause-heart-disease#
I am eager to read this book and use it as a tool to share with friends, family and clients on statins or being pushed to go on statins. I am hopeful that there is a chapter within about the dangers of going off statins “cold turkey” and how to wean off the medication safely! I feel this is hugely important! It is my understanding that going off statins without weaning can be deadly! Please let me know if you have other information! Thank you!
Susan,
I have not seen a patient suffer any harm from going off statins “cold turkey”.
DrB
I was on Lopitor for two months when my normally low blood pressure went through the roof. After going through a stress test and finding out that my heart was healthy and strong, I flushed the Lipotor down the toilet, it took weeks for my blood pressure to return to its normal low. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 1978. I can’t wait to get your book for myself and my daughter who inherited my curses. Thank you.
Hi, Cholesterol may be high due to low thyroid..not getting Amour thyroid and only Synthroid or no thyroid medicine. Thyroid medicine may lower cholesterol. Gluten may make antibodies to the thyroid. No gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO…vitamins/good oils, LDN, detoxing and no hidden gluten help me. They gave me diuretics instead of thyroid medicine when I was in the hospital with Lyme disease since I have a strange TSH. To me gluten made antibodies to my pituitary so it is not making TSH. Many other women maybe like me so they don’t get thyroid medicine, but instead another drug. My legs were 3-4X swollen due to no thyroid medicine and 100% constipation, low temperature, no energy and much more, but they said I didn’t need thyroid medicine. They never checked my free T3 and free T4…only TSH. I had thyroid medicine for 30 before they took it away in the hospital and said I didn’t need it of my vitamins/good oils or my Vit B12 shot or my bioidentical hormones. They attacked me for liking Alternative medicine and said we don’t have vitamins in the hospital and that coenzyme Q10 etc were strange supplements. They destroyed my brain/body. It took 2 months to heal by brain and 1 1/2 months to heal my bones after leaving the hospital. The hospital is no Health spa. They destroyed my health and then blamed it on me. They thought they were doing me a favor to remove my Alternative help. I had no energy to even open my eye lids. They said becareful what you say you may have to say it to the judge. I had to prove myself competent after they destroyed me by saying who was president of the U.S.. and more questions. There are no Alternative medicine ER or hospitals or nursing homes. Pray for those people. I had a friend recently die fast in an Assisted living home who used to do Alternative medicine. I think they gave her the drug Latuda which has so many bad side effects.
I have 2 friends on Statin drugs…to me they are getting the thyroid dose they need. The hormones/brain need cholesterol. They fear their blood vessels will clog with cholesterol so don’t want to stop it. Statins can eventually cause heart failure as they block coenyzme Q10 production in the liver which is the spark plug for cells. Eating no gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO may prevent thyroid issues and may keep blood vessels unclogged. EDTA IV chelations may remove Ca plaque that may clog blood vessels. My friend that died in an Assisted living home was given statins which she stopped when she lived at her home since they made large red blotches on her legs. I wonder if they gave her that drug also in the Assisted living home. She died of a stroke which she did not heal from. Too bad. I wish I had known about her situation earlier and could have let her stay with me so she could get the Alternative help she was used to.
My dad got statin drugs/blood thinners/high blood pressure medicine and more and died of 100% clogged blood vessels which caused a heart attack even with a heart pace maker. He trusted Conventional medicine…thought he bought the best help. He was afraid of EDTA IV chelations, but I have never seen any person have a problem with them. Celiac help may have helped my father, but he didn’t change his diet…though food was the quality of life he wanted. He ate 1/2 well, but not enough to be ok. An Alternative doctor may have helped him convert from drugs with side effects to natural help and maybe kept him on this earth 10 more years that he wanted. Having great insurance doesn’t mean a person gets great care. To me Alternative care is cheap and awesome and only helps the brain/body. People can heal, but fear keeps them away from Alternative help and there are less Alternative Clinic so a person needs to travel to them and people may be very sick before they sick that kind of help. He thought his Conventional doctor was doing Alternative things …recommended Red Yeast rice, but that also blocks coenzyme Q10. He did not get to the root cause of his health issues, just got his symptoms covered which got worse and eventually killed him. I have Celiac so he may have needed that diet also.
Thank you for this site/blog and all your awesome books! You give real help. I pray more people get Alternative medicine help. Best wishes.
I have always believed my husband was being prescribed meds he didn’t need. I talked him into slowly weaning off the Tricor and he will be tested by the doctor next month. At least I feel like I am not hurting my husband’s health. Thanks for your book.
I understand that Canada required CoQ10 with statins. The FDA does not.
I do wonder if even CoQ10 will stop the numerous side effects, though.
Dr. Duane Graveline would agree with you that statins are a disaster from his personal experience with Lipitor.
Thank you for writing this! My husband would have been one of their statistics. Thankfully, I’m a research type person and followed up on the statin mess to help him naturally. I look forward to getting your book. He is currently reading information on this ‘disaster’ Word must be getting out about this, too. I was in line at a local grocery store and talking with a guy who was doing his Masters in exercise science. We got on the subject of cholesterol and began exchanging information, as in CoQ10. My husband was never prescribed this supplement 2.5 years ago when he had his heart attack. I found out about it later. His doctor never explained the need. Or maybe didn’t know. It says on the bottle of CoQ10, if you’re taking statins, take this. Now we’re finding out why. The young man I mentioned said that the doctors he talks to say it’s mandatory now that they also tell patients to take this. So all of us together make a big hammer to chip away at this pharmaceutical rock. Good work, Dr. Brownstein!
You have had me sold on not even thinking of taking a statin for a long time……a question:
what substances in the body naturally help prevent DNA errors — and are there supplements to help prevent these DNA errors?
Lily
Hi Lily,
You can prevent DNA errors by limiting your exposure to oxidants such as refined food. Furthermore, there are many supplements which help with DNA errors including curcumin, vitamin C, iodine and others.
DrB
So, what do you take to bring down your bad cholesterol? Plus, im also dealing with high blood sugar ranging between
146-112 in the mornings. Most other times near 105 to 121. So, Im Suppose being taking metformin too.
Laurie,
In the book I make it clear there is no “bad” cholesterol.
DrB
After three months on Lipitor I quit it and then after I had surgery was fool enough to listen and start taking it at a much lower dose. A few months later I gave it up completely and five years later I no longer take any statin and informed my cardiologist that no matter how long I live I will never again take a statin. I blame statins for my neuropathy and difficulty in walking. Three sisters developed dementia and one died after years of taking Lipitor.