[Paul Smith]

Hi Steve,

Look into the keto-carnivore diet or, even better, the carnivore diet. You want to get seed oils (margarine, Crisco, corn/safflower/flax oil, etc.) and starches/sugars out of your diet. Eat whole foods (watch the starches). Eliminate all food colorings, flavorings, preservatives, etc. Artificial sweeteners should be limited to Xylitol or Allulose. Eat good fats and oils like meat fats (bacon is great!), Olive Oil, Coconut Oil.

[Giselle Sanders]

Cardiologist Aseem Malhotra’s book A Statin Free Life might be of interest.

Also check out heart surgeon Dr Philip Ovadia’s podcast Stay Off My Operating Table and his YouTube videos.

[Bernard Meyer]

I think it is important to point out that NONE of the doctors, naturopaths, chiropractors and alternate medicine promoters writing or podcasting content that encourages you to stop taking medications your doctors have prescribed knows you personally, has ever examined you physically, has your health history at their disposal, or are in any way liable if you are hurt by following their advice.

Yes, I totally agree that Big Pharma has become a soulless money-over-people monster that has captured the healthcare industry. Having said that, though, we need to be careful not to fall into black-and-white, all-or-none thinking. Many of the discoveries made in biology, physiology, and pharmacology actually have helped people’s health.

I would advise you be very careful, cautious, and gather all the info you can pro and con from various sources before stopping medications prescribed by a doctor who knows your particular situation and health profile in detail.

I am not a doctor and am just as concerned and bewildered trying to navigate this jungle of predatory institutions, knowledgeable, upright practitioners, and hucksters as everyone else.

[IMA-GregT]

@bearheart great closing line. We’re all searching, and cautious is good.

[Scott Faught]

I stopped as well and started using CholestMD. My numbers remain good. But I didn’t really have high numbers and was put on statins because my doctor said my “score” was 14. I looked it up and found out my age gave me 10 of those points. So no matter how good your cholesterol score is, you age makes you have to go on statins. So my story might not help but you could try it and continue to check your cholesterol levels.

[kirak]

I, too, would check out Dr. Ovadia. His book is very good.

[Raymond Darbenzio]

There is much nuance to the current dialogue and understanding of statin treatment. Reading your post, I think the relevant question for you is primary vs secondary protection. While treatment for primary protection (people without CV disease yet but with high lipids) is debatable, the same arguments don’t hold true for secondary protection (that’s you). Statins have a net strong positive effect in people who have already had a CV event or have stents…..and high lipids……or even normal lipids. You should be on a statin based on solid literature and Class 1a evidence. The other stuff you’re doing should also be done and that may allow a lower dose of statin which isn’t nothing. Cue the haters who only know what others tell them in the homeopathic community.

[Dr. Wawa]

The notion that cholesterol is a cause of heart disease was invented and foisted on the public (for gain) by the soybean and corn (margarine) lobbies in order to sell more product and phase out butter. The man who wrote it up (for compensation) was Ancel Keyes. Read “Wheat Belly” by cardiologist William Davis, M. D. for more factual information about the actual cause of coronary heart disease. Then read Duane Graveline., M. D. about how statins can cause temporary or PERMANENT global amnesia.

[Steve Spencer]

Thanks everybody. I am indeed following a carnivore/keto diet of sorts. I’m not fasting to any great extent, but I don’t use any seed oils and buy very little in cans or packets. I never eat ice cream, cake, sweets, etc. I make my own meals using fresh ingredients. I don’t eat pasta, bread, potatoes or root vegetables and only very occasionally have rice.

I have already decided to go back on the statin should my blood test result show a need, but I’m keen to avoid or minimise that if I can.

By the way, before stopping the statins, I was taking 20mg Rosuvastatin every other day, plus 10mg of Ezetimibe every day. This seemed to control my cholesterol to the satisfaction of my cardiologist.

I need to lose weight though, esp around my belly. I am 175cm tall and weigh 83kg, with a belly. Though it has never shown up on the standard blood test, I believe I may have been insulin resistant for many years, possibly going back to before my heart attack.

[IMA-GregT]

@stevesp great question, thank you for posting it.