First of all, I was only reading Prevention magazine because I got a free subscription with an order I placed with Vita Cost. I would never pay money for such a magazine. Touted as a health magazine, it’s full of ads for pharmaceuticals and promotes mainstream medicine. Occasionally I’ll agree with part of an article.
Anyways, I was reading an article by Arthur Agatston, MD called A Heart of Change. In it he talks about how puzzled doctors are that you can have “high cholesterol” and yet have no heart troubles, and how some patients have great cholesterol and have heart troubles. (Um, maybe it’s because cholesterol isn’t the enemy here!)
He goes on to talk about the size of the cholesterol particles being the important thing.
This is the first I’ve heard about cholesterol particle size!
Apparently, if they’re very small they are like little darts that easily pierce the arterial lining, whereas the large particles bounce off like beach balls.
However, there is no source listed to prove if it matters what your cholesterol size is, or why size would matter, or if the small ones really do act as darts. Why don’t the small ones act as dust and the large ones like bowling balls?
My opinion is that this is a myth that is going to circulate with no scientific basis.
Why?
So that even if you have great cholesterol numbers, you are still going to qualify for Lipitor, or another cholesterol-lowering drug.
The article states “If your doctor determines that too many of your particles are small, you can turn this around with lifestyle changes or medication - or a combination of the two.” So it’s going to be up to the doctor’s objective opinion to weigh the small and large particles to see if he will recommend medication to you. Right.
First they recommended it to those with bad heart history. Then it was all adult men, and even women. Then children (yes, children!). And now it will be for anyone living and breathing with any cholesterol numbers at all.
What do you think?
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| Lea Harris founded Nourishing Treasures in 2006. A mom passionate about her family's health and well-being, Lea believes education is power. Encouraging others to take baby steps in the right direction of health for their families, Lea's goal is to raise awareness of what goes into our mouths and on our bodies, providing natural alternative information that promotes health and prevents disease by using traditional foods and nature's medicine.
Lea is a Certified Health Coach graduate from Beyond Organic University, and a Certified Aromatherapist graduate from Aromahead Institute. "Like" Nourishing Treasures on Facebook, join the Nourishing Treasures Group on Facebook, follow @NourishTreasure on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter. You can also find me on Learning About Essential Oils forum, and Fido Fermentation Facebook group. Disclaimer: I use affiliate links wherever possible. So if you click on a link, and make a purchase, I might make a small commission, but it doesn't cost you any more. |
I have heard of the different size particles of cholesterol. I’m a biochemistry professor and we teach that stuff. BUT, not regarding heart disease. I agree with you that cholesterol is absolutely NOT the enemy and in fact we need it desperately. All of these doctors ignorantly prescribing lipitor are killing their patients, just slowly and painfully. It’s inflammation that causes heart disease (and is also implicated in autoimmune disease, hypertension, diabetes, and most modern diseases).
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I’ve heard about the different size cholesterols, but it was in an article on why saturated fat wouldn’t hurt you (the cholesterol it produces it the “good” size).
I tell my family to avoid Lipitor and other statins like the plague.
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I’ve also heard of different sized cholesterol. I think the first I had heard of it was in the Big Fat Fiasco video by Tom Naughton on youtube. He describes how the small cholesterol can be a problem if there is inflammation caused by sugar & starch. I can’t remember the process but it’s having high cholesterol that actually keeps this from becoming a problem. I hardly think that taking a statin would target just the small cholesterol & leave the big alone anyhow. For as educated as these doctors are, they sure aren’t all that smart.
As a layman, I am very interested to know about chilestrol and th drugs prescribed for it> As I recall no one on my fahters or grandfathers generation even Knew about cholestrol and no one suffered any kind of heart condition till their deats after 80. So whats the hype about choilestrol? I believe its a natural part of our blood composition and yes offcourse too much of anything is bad - but how much ois too much and is there research to prove that everyone cholestrol leves have to be a certain level to be too much? I have not taken the drug seriously nor y cholestrol level seriously but I do have to excercise and fast more often !! Besides that I believ in Divine health and trust as long as we do not over eat anything and eat the right foods- veggies and raw foods, limit our red meats to once a week , eat white meat normally and excercise atleast a little - I will be healthy ! ( no I am not being ignorant or smug- I just have that measure of fatih in my creator !!)
(First off, I would like to shoot whatever company sent me the free years of Disney family Fun. Maybe not shoot, since I don’t believe in hunting for anything I don’t intend to eat and I’m not a cannibal. De-patronize.)
For eligibility in our heath insurance plan, we have to participate in a “Health Fair” at my husband’s work every year. They weigh, measure, and draw blood. A week later everyone gets a sealed envelope with their numbers. Within the double-sided sheet of data, there are separate numbers for “good” and “bad” cholesterol, but non for particle size. Perhaps our insurance does not want to push Lipitor until it is available as a generic. They do push exercise changng one’s diet to raise the “good” cholesterol. It must be cheaper for them.
I read Prevention years ago and chucked it for the same reasons as you. It was a huge sales pitch and any article I read was never based on any solid research. They were basically giving their opinions w/o any back up.
As far as medication, I try to stay away as much as I can. I’d rather change my diet or life style than pop another pill.
There has never been a statin deficiency. Actually it’s a coQ10 deficiency.