I don't have an answer for you Goey! But I wish I did.
1n 1995 I had a TIA and was put on blood pressure meds and Zocor. I couldn't stand the calcium channel blocker the Dr. prescribed so eventually he changed the type and I stopped bi$ching. Life went on and 4 years later I moved to New Mexico. The climate was wonderful. I felt so great there. I lived at considerable altitude too (12,000 ft) and once I got used to the altitude and stopped feeling so tired, I began to feel wonderful. So good in fact, that I began to work out, something I'd never done before. I worked hard before, but not at this level.
About 6 months later I bought a small ranch and a couple of friends and I began working on it. We started building a house....from scratch. I wanted to made it from adobe, so we got a machine to press the blocks and that was that. I moved rocks, dug dirt, hauled water, and every other kind of physically hard work such that I lost 12 pounds in about 3 weeks. It was summer and 100^ or more during the day but I poured some water over my head and sat in the shade for a while and I was good to go for another hour.or so. One day I didn't feel so good. I was shaky and dizzy and lost lunch. My friend took me to my Dr because I was white and shaking. She took my blood and measured my blood pressure and it was very very low. No more blood pressure pills. Three days later she phoned me and my cholesterol was very low also - no more Zocor. And I continued punishing myself (not really) with physical work loving every sweating second.
Now I'm back in NJ and not working so hard and back on the drugs. This time the Zocor gives me the fahrts if I take it every day, so I don't. I dropped it one day per week (doc called it a drug-vacation) and that wasn't enough so I dropped it 2 days.....and eventually 3 (Doc only knows about 1 day) but my numbers stay good so I'm not gonna tell him. I need nothing for blood pressure.
The only thing that makes us different from our ancestors of a single generation ago is the lack on our part of hard physical labor. Does it release certain drug-like substances???? of course it does, we feel the beneficial endorphins as the result - but who knows what else gets made OR used up with that kind of physical work. A century ago even the women worked hard all day.
If our grand-parents and great-grand-parents had the benefit of antibiotics they would probably still be among us. (provided they never smoked and ate like they used to - - very little refined sugar and no refined white flour)
I read some of the links you provided and I didn't get the whiff of serious snakeoil (like I did with the book that Cowgirl suggested) but, like I also mentioned, I don't know enough about the subject to really make an informed decision. But there were a few little details of the one article that kinda started to set off my B.S. meter, like the silly additions about raising their kids on butter and cream and such like.
For the most part, though, I just don't have the expertise to know if the lady is really on to something, or if she's just blowing smoke.
I know my paternal grandparents and my father all died rather young due to heart attacks. And my grandmother was a hefty lady who cooked with lots of butter and cream. And there were also complications due to cancer. And this was in that wonderful age where everybody grew there own food and everything was really healthy. So if the mainline medicine recommendations aren't really in our best interests, then what SHOULD we do?
And yes, we were encouraged to eat margarine but I don't recall it ever being a prescrption drug. And I'm also old enough to remember when 9 out of 10 doctors recommended smoking Chesterfields, so I'm well aware of the pitfalls of lending the medical community more credence than they merit. But how do you decide who is shading their data and who is giving the straight dope?
/And yes, we were encouraged to eat margarine but I don't recall it ever being a prescrption drug. And I'm also old enough to remember when 9 out of 10 doctors recommended smoking Chesterfields, so I'm well aware of the pitfalls of lending the medical community more credence than they merit. But how do you decide who is shading their data and who is giving the straight dope?
George I remember helping my mother mix the margerine during the second war. Butter was rationed and that's why we had to eat margerine.
The only way that I know of to separate good science from not so bad science is to look at the funding and study the individuals who are doing the research. If the drug company is funding the study, I would tend to only half believe it because they want to sell their drugs.....especially this kind. Brand name Zocor sells for $138 for my strength. Last year sometime, the drug company's pattent ran out and geneeric zocor, called simvastin, came out. Now you'd think a generic drug would be cheap, wouldn't you. Well the generic was cheaper, but not cheap - - - it is $74 - - exactly half. Big deal....it's still a lot of money.
The reason I posted the link on iron overload is because there are a number of studies that indicate that when iron is COMBINED with cholesterol that the potential for health related problems increases substantially.
Men don't normal expel iron that they ingest.
Women do expel iron until menopause at which time their expulsion rate mimics that of men.
There are strong indicators that suggest this may explain why women are less prone to heart attack than men during child bearing years. After menopause, however, statistics show women to be on an even plane of risk as men.
Bottom line is that if you are a man, or post menopausal woman, it is not prudent to add to your iron intake unless there is some specific reason to do so.(ie: it's been medically advised.)
And even more prudence should be exercised if the cholesterol levels are high.
---------------------
TEFLON
Most of the concern has been focused on a chemical known as C-8, which is used to manufacture Teflon.
It is not the Teflon, itself.
There is a DuPont plant only a couple hours from here.
High levels of C-8 have found their way into the groundwater.
The area is fairly rural so private wells are a common source of residential water.
There are a number of ongoing studies addressing this situation at present.
The REASON high blood iron levels along with high cholesterol is a problem is because the iron promotes the LDL oxidizing, which turns the LDL cholesterol into arterial plaque. And the build up of plaque in the arteries is why (many) people die from heart disease. Build up of plaque in the arteries is also known as atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
And YES it IS a very real problem in America today.
And people who take statins should pay close attention to potential side effects. One such effect is increase in muscle pain, as is insomnia and/or poor sleep quality... I had been taking zocor for several years until last month when I got it changed. I now take a hydrophilic statin; zocor is a lipophilic statin. It's made a big difference in my workout endurance... I sleep a little better now too. Oh, and my cholesterol levels had gotten VERY low before the change.
AND, when my steak eating younger brother died in 1992 at the age of 36, I needed to learn about the hows and whys of his health problems... since early onset heart disease runs in my family.
Rocky brings up yet another point - - heredity. He knows his, and plans accordingly.
I know mine. On my father's side of the family there is limited knowledge since my grandfather is the only person (besides his wife) to emigrate from Denmark. He died at 77 from a ruptured aortic aneurysm at a time when it could not be found and repaired (1963). My grandmother, his wife died at 51 of her 3rd major stroke. My father died of a massive heart attack while fending off the flu; but he had been suffering dementia for years before that. No Alzheimer's for him - - he had a large number of small strokes none of which caused any specific decline, while all those together caused him to require constant custodial care. At my age of 65, I think I've done moderately well, given my grandmother's state. Given the host of other problems this body endures, who knows it I can live another 10 years. I hope so, and maybe more....but if something should happen and I not wake up in the morning, I think I would have broken even. Maybe some of you thinks that's a terrible statement. Given my blood vessels and heredity, it's not so bad.
I do take my meds, sort of, and my vitamins and minerals. I exercise as much as I can and I eat as well as possible. That's all she wrote. I can't do any better than this I don't think.
AND, when my steak eating younger brother died in 1992 at the age of 36, I needed to learn about the hows and whys of his health problems... since early onset heart disease runs in my family.
Good point. It runs in my family as well, on my father's side.
But, it doesn't matter if they eat steak and potatoes, are vegans, or if they smoke or not. About 1/3 of the men have developed athlerosclerosis regardless of diet, cholesterol levels or smoking habits. The cholesterol levels are "high" (over 200) in almost all the men, even the ones without artery disease.
So I doubt that eating steak has very much to do with it
BTW, statins inhibit the body's production of enzyme CoQ10. Depletion of CoQ10 in your body can lead to cardiomyopathy,. chronic fatigue, and even conjestive heart failure. CoQ10 is found naturally in it higest amounts in red meats. If you are taking a statin, and eat little red meat, you may want to consider a CoQ10 supplement.
I'm allergic to statins. Got put on the ever popular Lipitor a few years back, broke out in hives, ached all over, felt weak, got purple blotches on my shins. I still have keratoses from that time on my back. (Keratoses are "old age spots" and I'm way too young for them.)
I take Zetia and it works for me. I also somewhat watch my diet, especially with being diabetic.
Now for the traditional/alternative argument. Why not use both? The human body is intricate and complicated. When I ripped some tendons in my elbow, (with the help of my grandson), chiropractic helped me more than allopathic medicine ever could have. However, I don't think there is much chiropractic could do to resurrect my islet cells from the dead. That would require a miracle and some natural stuff might could do it, or more of them could grow. from proper herbal treatments. I don't know much about herbal solutions, but I believe they are out there, and until or unless I find one, I'm using my pump.
God made every one of us unique. I just want to work with Him to make my body healthier and that includes all modalities of medical care. Ultimately, IMO, the doctor you need to include most is Jehovah Rapha.
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krys
I don't have an answer for you Goey! But I wish I did.
1n 1995 I had a TIA and was put on blood pressure meds and Zocor. I couldn't stand the calcium channel blocker the Dr. prescribed so eventually he changed the type and I stopped bi$ching. Life went on and 4 years later I moved to New Mexico. The climate was wonderful. I felt so great there. I lived at considerable altitude too (12,000 ft) and once I got used to the altitude and stopped feeling so tired, I began to feel wonderful. So good in fact, that I began to work out, something I'd never done before. I worked hard before, but not at this level.
About 6 months later I bought a small ranch and a couple of friends and I began working on it. We started building a house....from scratch. I wanted to made it from adobe, so we got a machine to press the blocks and that was that. I moved rocks, dug dirt, hauled water, and every other kind of physically hard work such that I lost 12 pounds in about 3 weeks. It was summer and 100^ or more during the day but I poured some water over my head and sat in the shade for a while and I was good to go for another hour.or so. One day I didn't feel so good. I was shaky and dizzy and lost lunch. My friend took me to my Dr because I was white and shaking. She took my blood and measured my blood pressure and it was very very low. No more blood pressure pills. Three days later she phoned me and my cholesterol was very low also - no more Zocor. And I continued punishing myself (not really) with physical work loving every sweating second.
Now I'm back in NJ and not working so hard and back on the drugs. This time the Zocor gives me the fahrts if I take it every day, so I don't. I dropped it one day per week (doc called it a drug-vacation) and that wasn't enough so I dropped it 2 days.....and eventually 3 (Doc only knows about 1 day) but my numbers stay good so I'm not gonna tell him. I need nothing for blood pressure.
The only thing that makes us different from our ancestors of a single generation ago is the lack on our part of hard physical labor. Does it release certain drug-like substances???? of course it does, we feel the beneficial endorphins as the result - but who knows what else gets made OR used up with that kind of physical work. A century ago even the women worked hard all day.
If our grand-parents and great-grand-parents had the benefit of antibiotics they would probably still be among us. (provided they never smoked and ate like they used to - - very little refined sugar and no refined white flour)
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George Aar
I wasn't being facetious with you Goey.
When I said "I don't know" - that's what I meant.
I read some of the links you provided and I didn't get the whiff of serious snakeoil (like I did with the book that Cowgirl suggested) but, like I also mentioned, I don't know enough about the subject to really make an informed decision. But there were a few little details of the one article that kinda started to set off my B.S. meter, like the silly additions about raising their kids on butter and cream and such like.
For the most part, though, I just don't have the expertise to know if the lady is really on to something, or if she's just blowing smoke.
I know my paternal grandparents and my father all died rather young due to heart attacks. And my grandmother was a hefty lady who cooked with lots of butter and cream. And there were also complications due to cancer. And this was in that wonderful age where everybody grew there own food and everything was really healthy. So if the mainline medicine recommendations aren't really in our best interests, then what SHOULD we do?
And yes, we were encouraged to eat margarine but I don't recall it ever being a prescrption drug. And I'm also old enough to remember when 9 out of 10 doctors recommended smoking Chesterfields, so I'm well aware of the pitfalls of lending the medical community more credence than they merit. But how do you decide who is shading their data and who is giving the straight dope?
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krys
George I remember helping my mother mix the margerine during the second war. Butter was rationed and that's why we had to eat margerine.
The only way that I know of to separate good science from not so bad science is to look at the funding and study the individuals who are doing the research. If the drug company is funding the study, I would tend to only half believe it because they want to sell their drugs.....especially this kind. Brand name Zocor sells for $138 for my strength. Last year sometime, the drug company's pattent ran out and geneeric zocor, called simvastin, came out. Now you'd think a generic drug would be cheap, wouldn't you. Well the generic was cheaper, but not cheap - - - it is $74 - - exactly half. Big deal....it's still a lot of money.
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Rocky
The REASON high blood iron levels along with high cholesterol is a problem is because the iron promotes the LDL oxidizing, which turns the LDL cholesterol into arterial plaque. And the build up of plaque in the arteries is why (many) people die from heart disease. Build up of plaque in the arteries is also known as atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
And YES it IS a very real problem in America today.
And people who take statins should pay close attention to potential side effects. One such effect is increase in muscle pain, as is insomnia and/or poor sleep quality... I had been taking zocor for several years until last month when I got it changed. I now take a hydrophilic statin; zocor is a lipophilic statin. It's made a big difference in my workout endurance... I sleep a little better now too. Oh, and my cholesterol levels had gotten VERY low before the change.
AND, when my steak eating younger brother died in 1992 at the age of 36, I needed to learn about the hows and whys of his health problems... since early onset heart disease runs in my family.
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krys
Rocky brings up yet another point - - heredity. He knows his, and plans accordingly.
I know mine. On my father's side of the family there is limited knowledge since my grandfather is the only person (besides his wife) to emigrate from Denmark. He died at 77 from a ruptured aortic aneurysm at a time when it could not be found and repaired (1963). My grandmother, his wife died at 51 of her 3rd major stroke. My father died of a massive heart attack while fending off the flu; but he had been suffering dementia for years before that. No Alzheimer's for him - - he had a large number of small strokes none of which caused any specific decline, while all those together caused him to require constant custodial care. At my age of 65, I think I've done moderately well, given my grandmother's state. Given the host of other problems this body endures, who knows it I can live another 10 years. I hope so, and maybe more....but if something should happen and I not wake up in the morning, I think I would have broken even. Maybe some of you thinks that's a terrible statement. Given my blood vessels and heredity, it's not so bad.
I do take my meds, sort of, and my vitamins and minerals. I exercise as much as I can and I eat as well as possible. That's all she wrote. I can't do any better than this I don't think.
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Goey
But, it doesn't matter if they eat steak and potatoes, are vegans, or if they smoke or not. About 1/3 of the men have developed athlerosclerosis regardless of diet, cholesterol levels or smoking habits. The cholesterol levels are "high" (over 200) in almost all the men, even the ones without artery disease.
So I doubt that eating steak has very much to do with it
BTW, statins inhibit the body's production of enzyme CoQ10. Depletion of CoQ10 in your body can lead to cardiomyopathy,. chronic fatigue, and even conjestive heart failure. CoQ10 is found naturally in it higest amounts in red meats. If you are taking a statin, and eat little red meat, you may want to consider a CoQ10 supplement.
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Watered Garden
I'm allergic to statins. Got put on the ever popular Lipitor a few years back, broke out in hives, ached all over, felt weak, got purple blotches on my shins. I still have keratoses from that time on my back. (Keratoses are "old age spots" and I'm way too young for them.)
I take Zetia and it works for me. I also somewhat watch my diet, especially with being diabetic.
Now for the traditional/alternative argument. Why not use both? The human body is intricate and complicated. When I ripped some tendons in my elbow, (with the help of my grandson), chiropractic helped me more than allopathic medicine ever could have. However, I don't think there is much chiropractic could do to resurrect my islet cells from the dead. That would require a miracle and some natural stuff might could do it, or more of them could grow. from proper herbal treatments. I don't know much about herbal solutions, but I believe they are out there, and until or unless I find one, I'm using my pump.
God made every one of us unique. I just want to work with Him to make my body healthier and that includes all modalities of medical care. Ultimately, IMO, the doctor you need to include most is Jehovah Rapha.
WG
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