Are the Benefits of Statins Something You Should Take to Heart?

Americans were shocked when fitness guru and star trainer of The Biggest Loser Bob Harper suffered a heart attack in 2017. If someone as healthy as Harper could have a heart attack, then heart disease can affect anyone.

What’s President Trump On? Let’s take a peek inside his medicine cabinet, and explore the potential side effects of the medications he takes.

Donald Trump’s longtime New York physician, Dr. Harold N. Bornstein, is no stranger to the public spotlight. In 2015, he penned a letter declaring the then-candidate would be the “healthiest individual ever elected” president. Now, with Trump in office, Dr. Bornstein is sharing details about the president’s use of medications.

Does raising your HDL “good cholesterol” really protect against heart disease?

In March, scientists discovered a gene mutation that raises HDL cholesterol levels (commonly known as the “good” cholesterol) -- but rather than protecting against heart disease, it increases your risk for it. With HDL cholesterol widely being touted as heart-protective, it made scientists scratch their heads, wondering if HDL cholesterol levels are not really a catch-all. Perhaps it’s not the amount of HDL that matters, but how it works and how well it removes unhealthy cholesterol.

Be proactive: Know which nutrients are depleted by your prescription drug

Nutrients – you can’t function without them! Critical nutrients – such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, carbs and water – are essential for metabolism, energy and repair. They are the fuel that keeps your body functioning. As these nutrients are used up by the body’s metabolic activities, they need to be replaced – or you may end up with problems. But did you know that common medications may deplete the body of vital nutrients? It is very important that you be proactive and make sure you understand which nutrients are being depleted by the medications you take.

Be an informed patient: Statin among top-prescribed drugs

In 2014, the No. 1 most prescribed drug in America was branded rosuvastatin, or Crestor. IMS Health conducted a survey of the most commonly prescribed branded drugs, and this cholesterol-lowering pill came out on top with over 22 million prescriptions. FDA-approved in 2003, Crestor has been marketed as the most potent statin. Statin drugs stop an enzyme from making cholesterol in the body, sending LDL levels downward and making cardiologists and internists happy. But it’s not enough to just change a blood test result.

Statin controversy: Lowering cholesterol at the expense of antioxidants?

Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in America, because heart disease and stroke are some of the most commonly diagnosed diseases. Although they have saved many lives, controversy about their use still exists. Earlier this year, an abstract from a pharmacology journal (of a clinical hypothesis, not a research study) created some buzz among patients active on disease message boards. The authors of the piece think that because statins reduce levels of the potent antioxidant glutathione, the resulting lack of antioxidants could trigger bad outcomes like heart disease.

Beware: Statins may increase your diabetes risk!

Health recommendations are changing so often, it can give you whiplash. What is true today, may not be true tomorrow, and this is especially true as new studies continue to turn old recommendations on their heads! The latest to break the mold? The common recommendation that all patients with diabetes take statin drugs to reduce their risk of heart disease.

Statin drugs may increase your risk for cataracts

Cataract surgery is so common that it almost seems like a normal part of aging. Cloudy lenses in the eye are surgically removed, and new ones are popped in like contacts. Voila, Grandma is seeing 20/20 again. But cataract surgery can have complications, and there may an uncomfortable period of vaguely cloudy vision before eye doctors consider cataracts “bad enough” to operate. So are there ways to prevent this eye surgery?