Should I Lower my Cholesterol?

A slim and perfectly athletic young woman once told me that she was worried about her high cholesterol numbers in the last test. I laughed the issue off.

‘Labs make mistakes’ – I said – ‘Do you feel well? If yes, forget about it’.

Another 27-year-old ballerina-type was recommended by a doctor to cut down on… egg yolks.

We both found it funny.

But then my doctor called me just to say:
- Your current cholesterol level is not acceptable. You must be put on medications.

I did not feel like laughing. The fact that he did not even consider a non-medical alternative somehow felt especially upsetting.

I received it as the message to stop my 'natural, drug-free' nonsense and become like everyone else – passive and submissive to whatever doctor orders me to do.

When things like this happen, I first panic and think ‘Maybe it is time to change my ways. He (she) sounds so confident, and who am I to dispute a professional?’

But then I eventually calm down and start thinking straight. I ask myself:

-     Is there anything wrong with me (dizziness, fatigue, or pain)? Maybe I   feel weaker than in my 40s or 30s?

-     No; and actually, since yoga, - even better and stronger.

-     But can I trust my body? Every day people are urged to trust nothing but medical tests.  You hear countless stories about perfectly healthy individuals suddenly dropped dead with massive stroke or cardiac arrest.

-     Well, I doubt these stories are accurate.

-     Then why should I be scared of heart attack?

Currently doctors push young and old to lower blood cholesterol though its nature is not exactly clear (some say it depends on the amount of fat you eat; others – that consuming fat is irrelevant). These recommendations are based on the opinion that elevated level of LDL (bad) cholesterol is  one of the factors (family history, obesity, etc.) that in combination might be strong indicators of heart vulnerability. Yet again, many doctors advise to be ‘on the safe side’ and to lower it even if you have no relevant history or weight issues.

Being confused by all this controversy I felt like additionally researching the subject. Having high levels throughout my life and no heart problems ever, I grew a strong suspicion that the role of cholesterol in heart conditions is somewhat overrated. Thus I was looking specifically for the relevant studies that would prove or refute this hypothesis.

As usual, the first round was totally fruitless, though quite educational as I had been flooded with indisputable recommendations to lower cholesterol regardless of anything else.

I changed the inquiry to “cholesterol, study, controversial” and this is what I found:

1 – The clinical study led to a scandal in the medical world had found that an expensive anti-cholesterol drag and a much cheaper one (that included only one of the counterpart’s many components) perform the same. In fact the data for the cheaper one shows even slightly more benefits.

2 – The basic ingredient - statin reliably lowers cholesterol and was proven to bring benefits against heart conditions.  However it is not clear yet if the benefits observed were provided by lowering cholesterol or due to other healing mechanisms.

3 – The recommendations regarding cholesterol by everyone familiar with the results of this and similar studies are extremely cautious.

(The ENHANCE Trial and What It Means, By Richard N. Fogoros, M.D., http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cholesterol/a/statins.htm;

CLEARING UP THE CHOLESTEROL CONFUSION! by Dr. Robert Preston, N.D.,  http://www.vitality-corp.com/)

  

I am thinking about changing the doctor.