We have discussed alternative medications in the past. My wife who is 58 has been trying to not be placed on statin drugs for high cholestorol. Her physician is now scaring her as her levels are over double what he wants them to be. Some of what I have read personally state that cholestorol is needed to ward off alzeheimers. One of her great aunts had alzeheimers and we suspected her sister my wifes grandmother as being undiagnosed. My wife is resonably inclined to stay away for statin drugs but we are also equally scared of her numbers.
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tldr; Low cholesterol is a sure marker of early death! This is the take away for the Norwegian 10 year HUNT 2 study that ended in 2011.
Thyroid hormone is used by the body to produce steroid hormones; some of the most powerful defenders against cancer and diseases in general. These include pregnenolone, progesterone, DHEA and testosterone. They all have similar anti-stress, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer effects. Thyroid hormone converts cholesterol into pregnenolone. Subsequently, pregnenolone can be converted into all of the other steroids. Obviously, without thyroid hormone and adequate cholesterol, none of these steroid hormones can be produced.
It would seem then, that attempting to lower cholesterol would be a foolhardy thing to do, and in fact it is. The 10 year Norwegian HUNT 2 study uncovered that one of the surest markers of early mortality is low cholesterol. Concluded in 2011, the study was so persuasive that it could not be ignored, though the FDA did its best to do so. It took them until 2015 to acknowledge it and completely reverse their position on cholesterol – a position held for some 50 years – officially removing the “upper limit” on cholesterol consumption. Why did none of us get the memo? Why did none of our doctors? Thanks FDA.
Here's the HUNT 2 study, and here is Malcolm Kendrick’s summary of it. I can highly recommend Kendrick’s books The Great Cholesterol Con and Doctoring Data on cholesterol and statistical abuse. Also see this paper by the modern medicine contrarian, A Midwestern Doctor who is always drawing well researched and sourced lessons from what he calls "the forgotten side of medicine." The deeper sections are behind a pay wall, but what's free should be eye opening.
The story of statins is a containable case study of how the medical system operates hand-in-glove with big pharma and our captured regulatory agencies. And, don’t even mention the media. Even after the FDA’s reversal, statins remained the biggest pharmaceutical money maker. That is until Covid, which was an even a bigger swindle and boondoggle. The cancer industry is bigger yet, with even greater incentives to deny and obfuscate the truth. Is there any reason to believe that these people exist to help you? There might well be, but assumed goodness on their part should not be your default position.
Anybody concerned about having high cholesterol should know that this situation has long been associated with a deficiency of thyroid (hypothyroidism). "The thyroid hormone is required for using and eliminating cholesterol, so cholesterol is likely to be raised by anything which blocks the thyroid function," wrote Dr. Raymond Peat. He recommends supplementing with a dessicated thyroid supplement (dry powdered thyroid gland pressed into a tablet) to convert cholesterol into valuable hormones.
Finally, the compound HMG-CoA is a metabolic intermediate on the biosythesis pathway that creates co-enzyme Q, cholesterol and testosterone (among other hormones). Originally, statins were known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors for the simple reason that they block, or even shut down HMG-CoA. Understandable if the goal is to slow or stop the production of cholesterol, and if it can be done without serious consequences. But it can’t be: CoQ10 is absolutely required for cells to generate ATP and for keeping blood pressure down; testosterone makes men fertile and keeps stress hormones in check; and cholesterol is the body’s raw structural material. A regular "high" cholesterol statin dose is anywhere from 20-80mg. The outcome for the patient is almost zero CoQ10 in his body.