CIDPUSA.ORG Autoimmune

Welcome to CIDPUSA.ORG

STATIN ISSUES & Guide to reduce inflammation

November 19, 2021

Statins section of CIDPUSA

When Zetia (Ezetimibe), a
drug that impedes the body's absorption of cholesterol, was combined
with Zocor (Simvastatin), a cholesterol-lowering statin drug, arterial
plaque actually accumulated nearly twice as much as it did in subjects
who took Zocor alone.

So how in the world could Vytorin (Inegy), the brand name of this
double-whammy of cholesterol medications, make the plaque problem even
worse?

The short answer: They messed with Mother Nature. And they lost.

*Detailed response

It's a simple equation: a + b = c

a) Accumulation of fatty deposits (cholesterol) on artery walls narrows

the arteries and increases risk of heart disease and heart attack.

b) Cholesterol-lowering drugs lower cholesterol.

c) So take cholesterol-lowering drugs and you reduce heart disease and
heart attack risk, right?

Well, it looks good on paper.

After I sent you the previous e-alert on this topic, a member named Joe

sent an e-mail with his take on the process.

Joe: "Why do Zetia and Zocor increase arterial plaque? Well, why does
the body store fat when you fast? The body needs cholesterol to repair
cells. The body needs cholesterol to repair arterial damage caused by
inflammation. When you remove that material unnaturally, the body
reacts by trying to make more and then quickly using what it does have,

just in case it can't get more. Since artery plaque is a repair
response from the body, it has priority over all else. Once the medical

pundits realize that 'It's the inflammation, stupid!', we'll all be
better off."

Good angle, Joe. But no need to wait for the pundits to come around -
we already know how to handle inflammation.

********************************
Low flame
********************************

Inflammation plays a key role in the development of heart disease and
other chronic diseases, and once a disease is underway, inflammation
helps keep it going.

Dietary choices that evenly balance omega-3 fatty acid intake with
omega-6 intake may offer the best first step in managing inflammation.
In the average western diet, omega-6 intake is typically quite a bit
higher than omega-3. This imbalance increases enzymes that promote the
production of inflammatory agents. But when processed foods are kept to

a minimum (along with omega-6-laden oils such as corn, canola,
sunflower, safflower, and soy), and good sources of omega-3 (such as
salmon, tuna, mackerel, and other fatty fish) are increased, the
desired 1:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 can help bring inflammation in
line.

Vitamin C might also help the effort.

In a 2006 report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, UK
researchers recruited more than 3,250 healthy men over the age of 60.
Food frequency questionnaires were used to determine fruit and
vegetable intake, and blood samples were taken to measure vitamin C and

C-reactive protein (CRP-a marker that signals risk of heart disease
and other chronic illnesses).

Researchers found high fruit consumption to be linked with a 25 percent

reduced risk of inflammation, while inflammation risk was nearly cut in

half among those who had high blood levels of vitamin C.

And a few weeks ago I told you about research from Tufts University
that reveals another inflammation tamer: vitamin K.

When the Tufts team examined dietary and medical records of more than
1,380 middle-aged subjects, they found that a high intake of foods that

contain vitamin K was linked to lower levels of 14 inflammatory
markers, including CRP.

Vitamin K can be found in leafy green vegetables, broccoli, asparagus,
tomatoes, avocados, olive oil, whole wheat, butter, meat, liver, egg
yolk, and fermented products such as yoghurt and cheese.

for a Help yourself please read the diet section