Considering the acknowledged dangers of statin drugs this new research is critical to anyone over 60 taking statin drugs.
A major study published in the British Medical Journal in June 2016 casts doubts on the benefits attributed to lowering cholesterol, particularly as you get older.
The research study of nearly 70,000 people not only found no link between “bad” cholesterol and longevity. The study found that in a significant proportion of the group studied higher levels of “bad” cholesterol was associated with living longer.
The study concluded:
High LDL-C is inversely associated with mortality in most people over 60 years. This finding is inconsistent with the cholesterol hypothesis (ie, that cholesterol, particularly LDL-C, is inherently atherogenic). Since elderly people with high LDL-C live as long or longer than those with low LDL-C, our analysis provides reason to question the validity of the cholesterol hypothesis. Moreover, our study provides the rationale for a re-evaluation of guidelines recommending pharmacological reduction of LDL-C in the elderly as a component of cardiovascular disease prevention strategies.
The take home advice from the study results would be…
If you’re over 60 and are taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol STOP NOW!
One of the researchers who worked on the study was vascular and endovascular surgery expert Professor Sherif Sultan from the University of Ireland. Dr. Sultan maintains that cholesterol is one of the “most vital” molecules in the body and prevents infection, cancer, muscle pain and other conditions in elderly people.
“Lowering cholesterol with medications for primary cardiovascular prevention in those aged over 60 is a total waste of time and resources, whereas altering your lifestyle is the single most important way to achieve a good quality of life,” he said.
In addition to reviewing the original research abstract here, I suggest reading a summary article that was published in The Telegraph Science section.