Statin are one of the most widely prescribed medications out there. They are used to lower high cholesterol levels. If you are on it, you should take a look at this CBC article and video. Researchers are starting to question its risks and benefits for cardiovascular disease prevention. It seems to help those who have had a heart attack, but not so much for those who have yet to have any health problems. After about 5 yrs of use, it seems to reduce risk by about one percent. But one also has to weigh that against the possible side effects such as kidney disease, muscle pain, type 2 diabetes, etc.
Luckily, if you read my previous blog post about how effective naturopathic medicine is for cardiovascular disease, you will find that there are much more effective treatment strategies out there.
FYI:
Speaking of statins, make sure that you're not mixing it with any macrolide antibiotics. These are common antibiotics such as clarithromycin & erythromycin. It could lead to a number of nasty side effects, namely kidney and muscle damage. See the article below for more information.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/06/17/statin-antibiotic-interaction.html
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
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"The care you want, the health you need."
Showing posts with label heart attack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heart attack. Show all posts
Do you know anyone on high dose Statin medications with high blood sugar? You'll want to read further.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2011; 305:2556-2564) that people on high doses of statin medications increases the risk of diabetes by 12%. Statin drugs are often prescribed for those who have high cholesterol and are thus at an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
This new report follows another study published last year in the Lancet, another well regarded science journal.
(Sattar N, Preiss D, Murray HM, et al. Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomized statins trials. Lancet 2010; 375:735-742)
Researchers conclude that it is prudent to monitor ones' blood glucose levels if you are on statin therapy. It should be noted that the authors still believe that benefits of statin therapy (ie. prevention of cardiovascular events) outweighs the cons (ie. diabetes). This is a bit of a contradiction because having diabetes puts one in the high risk category of getting a cardiovascular event.
Hopefully some of you have seen your cholesterol numbers from your blood work and may have noticed a chart/guideline like the one below. This chart uses American numbers, but for the purpose of this explanation, it doesn't matter. The way we are taught to treat patients for high cholesterol is to first assess which category of risk a patients fall in. For example, if you smoke, have a history of cardiovascular events or have diabetes, you are automatically classified as a "high risk individual". So then you are put on statins to decrease your risks if you do not meet the cholesterol target guidelines which are also shown on the chart.
So here's what I see as the big picture:
High risk individuals => Drug therapy (statins) => Some people are at increased risk of developing diabetes => Diabetes increases ones risk of having cardiovascular problems => May need another drug to treat the high blood sugar (?)
So what should you be doing if you're on statins?
1. Monitor your blood sugar, especially if you're on high doses of the drugs.
2. Make LIFESTYLE changes! Yes, there are natural supplements that can lower your cholesterol, but the truth is, if you don't exercise, eat right and get adequate sleep, you won't have the foundation required to go off whatever medications you are on.
The guidelines (American figures), based on the 10-year risk of a heart attack, are summarized in the table below.
Have a fantastic, fun-filled summer everyone!
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
Visit us on our new Facebook page!
www.NaturopathicEssentials.com
"The care you want, the health you need."
This new report follows another study published last year in the Lancet, another well regarded science journal.
(Sattar N, Preiss D, Murray HM, et al. Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomized statins trials. Lancet 2010; 375:735-742)
Researchers conclude that it is prudent to monitor ones' blood glucose levels if you are on statin therapy. It should be noted that the authors still believe that benefits of statin therapy (ie. prevention of cardiovascular events) outweighs the cons (ie. diabetes). This is a bit of a contradiction because having diabetes puts one in the high risk category of getting a cardiovascular event.
Hopefully some of you have seen your cholesterol numbers from your blood work and may have noticed a chart/guideline like the one below. This chart uses American numbers, but for the purpose of this explanation, it doesn't matter. The way we are taught to treat patients for high cholesterol is to first assess which category of risk a patients fall in. For example, if you smoke, have a history of cardiovascular events or have diabetes, you are automatically classified as a "high risk individual". So then you are put on statins to decrease your risks if you do not meet the cholesterol target guidelines which are also shown on the chart.
So here's what I see as the big picture:
High risk individuals => Drug therapy (statins) => Some people are at increased risk of developing diabetes => Diabetes increases ones risk of having cardiovascular problems => May need another drug to treat the high blood sugar (?)
So what should you be doing if you're on statins?
1. Monitor your blood sugar, especially if you're on high doses of the drugs.
2. Make LIFESTYLE changes! Yes, there are natural supplements that can lower your cholesterol, but the truth is, if you don't exercise, eat right and get adequate sleep, you won't have the foundation required to go off whatever medications you are on.
The guidelines (American figures), based on the 10-year risk of a heart attack, are summarized in the table below.
| ATP III LDL-Cholesterol Goals and Cutpoints for Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) and Drug Therapy in Different Risk Categories | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk Category | LDL-Cholesterol Goal | Initiate TLC | Consider Drug Therapy |
| High risk: CHD* or CHD risk equivalents† (10-year risk >20%) | <100 mg/dL (optional goal: <70 mg/dL)|| | >=100 mg/dL# | >=100 mg/dL†† (<100 mg/dL: consider drug options)** |
| Moderately high risk: 2+ risk factors‡ (10-year risk 10% to 20%) | <130 mg/dL¶ | >=130 mg/dL# | >=130 mg/dL 100–129 mg/dL; consider drug options)‡‡ |
| Moderate risk: 2+ risk factors‡ (10-year risk <10%) | <130 mg/dL | >=130 mg/dL | >=160 mg/dL |
| Lower risk: 0–1 risk factor§ | <160 mg/dL | >=160 mg/dL | >=190 mg/dL (160–189 mg/dL: LDL-lowering drug optional) |
Have a fantastic, fun-filled summer everyone!
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
Visit us on our new Facebook page!
www.NaturopathicEssentials.com
"The care you want, the health you need."
Acetaminophen & NSAID use - The Risks: Heart Attacks & Blood Cancers
I read two interesting studies lately about acetaminophen (tylenol) and NSAIDs of the cox-2 variety ( rofecoxib, celecoxib, etc).
We were told previously that cox-2 non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can have adverse effects on the heart. The latest study in the journal Circulation arrives at the same conclusion. To sum up the study, the authors show that patients with prior heart attacks, NSAIDs use increased the risk of death and recurrent heart attacks in as little as one week of use. There was a 45% increased risk of death or recurrent heart attack in the first seven days of treatment and a 55% increased risk of treatment continued for three months. So the conclusion for those of you who have had prior myocardial infarctions, stay off the cox-2 inhibitor NSAIDs. Cox-1 inhibitors such as aspirin and tylenol are better for short term use.
Having said that, the newest research on acetaminophen in the Journal of Clinical Oncology shows that chronic users of acetaminophen nearly doubled their risk of developing blood type cancers like lymphoma and myeloma.
To quote the author:
"A person who is age 50 or older has about a one-percent risk in ten years of getting one of these cancers," White said. "Our study suggests that if you use acetaminophen at least four times a week for at least four years, that would increase the risk to about two percent."
Some of you might be thinking, who uses tylenol four times per week? I can tell you that there are a lot of people out there who use pain killers daily. No one wants to live in pain. Sometimes there are other options like acupuncture, cupping or the use of some herbs to help. At other times, medication is needed. But just as with all things in life, there are trade-offs and one needs to know the risks. I hope this information helps you to make an informed decision.
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
Visit us on our new Facebook page!
www.NaturopathicEssentials.com
"The care you want, the health you need."
We were told previously that cox-2 non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can have adverse effects on the heart. The latest study in the journal Circulation arrives at the same conclusion. To sum up the study, the authors show that patients with prior heart attacks, NSAIDs use increased the risk of death and recurrent heart attacks in as little as one week of use. There was a 45% increased risk of death or recurrent heart attack in the first seven days of treatment and a 55% increased risk of treatment continued for three months. So the conclusion for those of you who have had prior myocardial infarctions, stay off the cox-2 inhibitor NSAIDs. Cox-1 inhibitors such as aspirin and tylenol are better for short term use.
Having said that, the newest research on acetaminophen in the Journal of Clinical Oncology shows that chronic users of acetaminophen nearly doubled their risk of developing blood type cancers like lymphoma and myeloma.
To quote the author:
"A person who is age 50 or older has about a one-percent risk in ten years of getting one of these cancers," White said. "Our study suggests that if you use acetaminophen at least four times a week for at least four years, that would increase the risk to about two percent."
Some of you might be thinking, who uses tylenol four times per week? I can tell you that there are a lot of people out there who use pain killers daily. No one wants to live in pain. Sometimes there are other options like acupuncture, cupping or the use of some herbs to help. At other times, medication is needed. But just as with all things in life, there are trade-offs and one needs to know the risks. I hope this information helps you to make an informed decision.
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND
Visit us on our new Facebook page!
www.NaturopathicEssentials.com
"The care you want, the health you need."
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