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A Statin Nation: Damaging Millions in a Brave New Post-health World
If you have been told that you must take statins or risk a devastating heart attack or stroke, you need to read this book. Dr Kendrick, a well-known statin sceptic and author of the bestselling The Great Cholesterol Con, has returned to the diet-heart-cholesterol battlefield to warn that people are being conned.
In relaxed and humorous style, he lifts the rock to allow the reader to peer underneath. He points out that statins, even in high-risk individuals, increase life expectancy by a mere four days after five years of treatment. Yet adverse effects have been swept under the carpet by researchers who are closely tied to the industry.
The way to avoid heart disease, and strokes, is simple - but, as this riveting book shows, it has nothing to do with lowering cholesterol levels.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 27, 2018
128 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 30, 2023
Was rushing through the final chapters just so I could get to this review - an awesome book. Just read it. If you're open minded, you will at least LOL multiple times, even if you struggle to believe what you are reading. Dr. Kendrick is a great writer that has figured out how to mash a few paragraphs of medical acronyms together with slapstick humor and sympathy for his reader. Now, to the content.
This book isn't just about cardio-vascular disease, or cholesterol - it starts lobbing molotov cocktails at the entire medical research complex and may just launch you into further investigation of what is actually TRUE, like I think it's doing to me. As someone whose body hums with FH (I would no longer say suffers from!) I can't ignore the question my brain now screams - can you really trust your Doctor? I think you can trust that he/she wants to have a long, successful career - but you cannot trust that they love the truth more than they fear the ramifications of losing their license, or attracting the scorn of big pharma's silent legion.
Listen. If you have really high cholesterol, like me, and you're just trying to think for yourself, you're on your own. Your GP may look like they're 'hearing you out' when you question the usefulness/effectiveness of a statin, but they're just waiting to start their speech on 'how 'bout we just try a low dosage for a month or too and see what happens?' Unfortunately, all roads lead to lipitor or some LDL-lowering snake-oil (cough) drug. Taking a different route, and being able to stand on your own two feet, means getting comfortable with the blank stare. And it may come from your wife or husband. Read this book.
God bless Dr. Kendrick for helping one more man feel a little less crazy, and a little less stressed.
This book isn't just about cardio-vascular disease, or cholesterol - it starts lobbing molotov cocktails at the entire medical research complex and may just launch you into further investigation of what is actually TRUE, like I think it's doing to me. As someone whose body hums with FH (I would no longer say suffers from!) I can't ignore the question my brain now screams - can you really trust your Doctor? I think you can trust that he/she wants to have a long, successful career - but you cannot trust that they love the truth more than they fear the ramifications of losing their license, or attracting the scorn of big pharma's silent legion.
Listen. If you have really high cholesterol, like me, and you're just trying to think for yourself, you're on your own. Your GP may look like they're 'hearing you out' when you question the usefulness/effectiveness of a statin, but they're just waiting to start their speech on 'how 'bout we just try a low dosage for a month or too and see what happens?' Unfortunately, all roads lead to lipitor or some LDL-lowering snake-oil (cough) drug. Taking a different route, and being able to stand on your own two feet, means getting comfortable with the blank stare. And it may come from your wife or husband. Read this book.
God bless Dr. Kendrick for helping one more man feel a little less crazy, and a little less stressed.
April 3, 2024
In a nutshell - this reinforces my belief that I will continue to say no to Statins, even if as my doctor puts it, "it's just like taking a vitamin". Dr Kendrick presents his case in a readable and understandable manner that is highly supported with medical research citations (including links in the ebook). As with others, he describes how the pharmaceutical companies, food industry and other institutions have perpetuated or manipulated hypotheses and protocols that have become in so much - "facts". Many of these have been found to be suspect at best for a long time. His main focus is on the causes of coronary vascular disease (mainly heart attacks and strokes). In essence Saturated fat and cholesterol have nothing too do with CVD.
Some areas I highlighted:
Prescribing statins has continued to rise inexorably, with the latest recommendations in the UK being that every single man should be taking a statin by the age of sixty, regardless of whether they have any other risk factors for CVD. The official ceremony when you ‘reach the age of lifelong statination’ is significantly younger in the US, as you might expect. Looking at this latest development from a different angle, it is now possible to have ‘perfect’ cholesterol levels, ‘perfect’ blood pressure and ‘perfect’ every other single risk factor, yet when you reach a certain age the danger of suffering a cardiovascular (CV) event is so frighteningly high that you will have to take a drug, every day, for the rest of your life.
So today, without really trying and without having any disease diagnosed, you can be on at least eleven drugs. Two to lower blood sugar, two blood pressure lowering drugs, aspirin, omeprazole, alendronic acid, the calcium/vitamin D combination, clopidogrel and a statin.
Taking up to five tablets a day increased the danger of premature death by an estimated 47 per cent Those taking six medicines or more a day were nearly three times as likely to die prematurely
This book is primarily focused on two often fatal conditions – heart attacks and strokes. Whilst there are many different diseases that can damage the heart and the brain, in the majority of cases the problem is a disease of the arteries supplying blood to these organs.
The actual disease in the blood vessels that leads to most heart attacks and strokes is usually referred to as atherosclerosis. This is the development of lumps, or thickenings, in the artery wall. These thickenings are most often called atherosclerotic plaques.
atherosclerosis never develops in the veins and only very, very rarely in pulmonary blood vessels. This is even though these blood vessels are exposed to precisely the same concentration of cholesterol as the arteries. Yes, ponder that fact for a few moments.
Four other facts about calcium in your arteries that I find fascinating: Statins accelerate calcium build-up in arteries and on heart valves1 You can see considerable calcium deposits in the arteries of mummies from Egypt and other parts of the world Warfarin (commonly used in treating atrial fibrillation, or AF – an abnormal heart rhythm) accelerates calcium build-up in arteries, due to its action as a vitamin K antagonist2 There is some reasonably strong evidence that vitamin K supplementation may slow, or possibly even reverse, calcium build-up in arteries
Whilst there are many different type of heart attack, it remains true that the classic MI is the most common event, and the process is as follows. Over many years, a coronary artery narrows, as the underlying atherosclerotic plaque enlarges. Then the plaque ruptures, leading to the formation of a fully obstructive blood clot. This cuts off blood supply and an infarction will ensue. Around 40 per cent of classic MIs are immediately fatal.
What are Fats? The first thing to say here is that the terminology in this area is hopelessly confusing. I sometimes think there is a secret society out there, which has an evil plan to ensure that no one can understand anything about fats, cholesterol and the rest. Just consider the word ‘fat’. One can be fat, although no one can be called that any more. Fat can be removed from a steak, there are fat cells and you can call lots of fat cells clumped together fatty tissue. In addition, some people refer to triglycerides, which you may or may not have heard of, as fats. However, a triglyceride is also a lipoprotein, which is nothing like a fat at all. Having said all this, there is no such thing as a fat. Confused? Well, I am not surprised. It took me some time to work out what anyone was talking about.
The only reason I added this bit of rather off-putting biochemistry is that, if you block HMG-CoA reductase, then you block cholesterol production. The reason for mentioning this is because statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. That is how they work. Ah, the wonders of medical science. The body is desperately trying to make cholesterol to ensure perfect health and wellbeing, and we blithely throw a spanner into a complex 37-step process, one that is essential for human existence. Splendid idea, chaps.
As with fats, we have an immediate problem with terminology. The first issue is that you have no cholesterol floating free in your bloodstream, so it is impossible to have a blood cholesterol level. Scientifically, it cannot and does not exist. But the concept of a high cholesterol level has become so firmly concreted into the public consciousness that I am rather stuck with using it. (I am also going to use the generic term ‘lipid’ from now on, except when this is not possible.) Incidentally, the reason why cholesterol does not float about in the bloodstream is that it does not dissolve in water – thus blood. It shares this problem with lipids, such as triglycerides. Therefore the only way you can transport cholesterol and triglycerides around is to pack them into lipoproteins – a lipid/protein sphere. Lipoproteins come in various sizes and do different jobs. Here is a list, from the smallest to biggest: HDL – High-density lipoprotein (often called ‘good’ cholesterol) LDL – Low-density lipoprotein (often called ‘bad’ cholesterol) IDL – Intermediate-density lipoprotein (usually not talked about in polite company) VLDL – Very low-density lipoprotein (confusingly, usually called a triglyceride) Chylomicron – although it’s a lipoprotein it is not called a lipoprotein
Almost ten years after I mocked the concept of HDL-raising agents, we have the following comment about the success of the latest CETP inhibitor, called evacetrapib: ‘Steve Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic, said: “Here we have a paradox. The drug (evacetrapib) more than doubled HDL and lowered LDL levels by as much as many statins – but had no effect on cardiac events.”
So, what do we know? First, that animals which cannot synthesise vitamin C are at risk of developing scurvy, causing blood vessels to crack open and bleed. Second, that Lp(a) is present in the bloodstream of animals – including humans who cannot synthesise vitamin C – and its role is to plug the cracks that form in arteries. And third, Lp(a) is associated with a much higher rate of CVD; ‘… elevated Lp(a) levels associate robustly and specifically with increased CVD risk. The association is continuous in shape without a threshold and does not depend on high levels of LDL or non-HDL cholesterol, or on the levels or presence of other cardiovascular risk factors.’
until 2005, if you carried out a clinical trial and it was negative there was no requirement to publish it. You could just bury it and move on. So, who knows how many LDL-lowering agents have been tested over the years and failed to have any effect?
In the MRC trial, 17,354 patients were recruited and there were 85,572 patient years of observation. After all this, there were 248 deaths in the treated group and 253 deaths in the placebo group. It turned out that treating nearly 9,000 people for five years resulted in five fewer deaths. That equates to very nearly 9,000 years of treatment to delay one death. There was absolutely no difference in CV mortality.
Repatha/PSCK9. Here is a drug that costs $14,000 a year and massively lowers LDL, yet has no benefit on overall or CV mortality. Whoop-, as they say, de-doo.
Anything which improves NO synthesis will be highly beneficial and will reduce the risk of dying of CVD. On the other hand, anything that reduces NO synthesis will cause harm and increase the risk of CVD.
Which takes us back to statins because the primary pleiotropic effect of statins is that they, too, increase NO synthesis in endothelial cells.3 As a direct result of this: They lower blood pressure4 They are an anticoagulant, similar in effect to aspirin5 They increase the production of cells in the bone marrow that protect the lining of the arteries.
My own view is that any benefits of statins on CVD can be fully, indeed far better, explained by their beneficial impact on NO synthesis. LDL lowering is just an unfortunate adverse effect that it would be nice to remove.
there are only two points you need to know from the statin trials. The first is how much longer will you live for if you take a statin? And that’s not the same thing as an improvement in overall mortality. Second, how many nasty but not fatal conditions did statins prevent, e.g. non-fatal strokes and non-fatal heart attacks.
What then is the average increase in life expectancy from taking a statin in both primary and secondary prevention over around five years? Average increase in life expectancy in primary prevention was 3.2 days Average increase in life expectancy in secondary prevention was 4.1 days9 So, in answer to the question that no one ever asks – ‘If I take these statins for five years, how much longer am I likely to live, doc?’ – I can reply, ‘On average, between three and four days.’ Yes, figures are funny old things. A 36 per cent reduction in heart attacks sounds fantastically impressive. Equally, saving 1,000 lives a week seems like something we absolutely must do. The reality is rather more prosaic. Take a statin for five years and live an extra four days – max.
To put this another way, statins caused as many serious adverse events as they prevented (delayed). Or, to put it another way, they didn’t do any bloody good. So, bringing this together, what do we know about statins? They can increase life expectancy for about three to four days for every five years of treatment They have no benefit on SAEs
Another example that highlights the inability of clinical trials to pick up dangerous problems is that statins were studied in many clinical trials, for over 30 years, before it was finally noticed they cause diabetes. This was picked in the JUPITER trial in 2008.5 Now that people have been made aware of the connection, the increased risk of diabetes is thought to be very nearly 50 per cent (perhaps as high as 80 per cent). In fact, in a long-term study the risk of diabetes was found to increase by 363 per cent. my overriding concern about statins is that they cause a crushing burden of adverse effects that are insidious, often coming on slowly, often mimicking the impact of ageing. So much so that they are simply written off as, ‘What do you expect, you are getting older?’ Fatigue, memory problems, muscle pain, joint pain.
And, just to finish, here’s a quote on statins and Parkinson’s: ‘Statin use was associated with higher, not lower, Parkinson’s disease risk, and the association was more noticeable for lipophilic statins, an observation inconsistent with the current hypothesis that these statins protect nerve cells.’12 How can the current view that statins protect nerve cells possibly have any possible currency, when nerve cells have the highest concentration of cholesterol of any cells in the body?
Does Raised Cholesterol (LDL) Cause CVD? Itoyed with the idea of making this the shortest chapter in the book. In one short word … NO!
The first problem to emerge, as noted by Ancel Keys, is that cholesterol in the diet has little or no impact on the cholesterol level in your bloodstream. Undeterred, Keys simply adjusted the hypothesis. It became fat and cholesterol.
As the average cholesterol level in Japan has risen steadily, the rate of death from heart disease has not followed suit. Instead it has fallen by 60 per cent. At the same time the rate of stroke has fallen seven-fold. cent in that period. Thus, we don’t really talk about Japan so much any more.
French Paradox. The French have the highest saturated-fat consumption in Europe, slightly higher than average cholesterol levels, and the lowest CVD rate in Europe. Nearly as low as Japan. The simple fact is that there is absoutely no relationship between cholesterol levels in various countries and the rate of death from CVD. Yes indeed, in 2009 the Swiss had the highest average cholesterol level of any country in the world, and the second lowest rate of death from CHD in Europe, about the fourth lowest in the world.
for women, as cholesterol levels got higher, the rate of death from IHD fell by 40 per cent and pretty much stayed there, even when the total cholesterol level was above 7.0mmol/l.7
It was published in the British Medical Journal Open. (Open means free to view.) At the risk of self-aggrandisement, it was also the most read paper in the journal for five months in a row. We found that: ‘High LDL-C is inversely associated with mortality in most people over 60 years. This finding is inconsistent with the cholesterol hypothesis. Let me translate. In older people, the higher your LDL level, the longer you will live. Of course, it was immediately attacked from all sides.
It is clear that statins have many different effects and do not work by lowering LDL; their benefits are due to a positive impact on nitric oxide synthesis. LDL lowering is an unfortunate side effect.
in 1987 researchers went back to look at what happened to people in Framingham if their cholesterol levels started to fall. Presumably a 1 per cent fall would lead to a 2 per cent drop in the risk of CHD. Not quite. Here is what they found: ‘There is a direct association between falling cholesterol levels over the first fourteen years (of the study) and mortality over the following eighteen years.’ That association, however, was not in the expected direction.
Returning to statins, they have been repeatedly hailed as the wonder drug of all wonder drugs. In reality, they increase life expectancy by about three to four days after five years of treatment. This means that, if you took them for thirty years, assuming the benefits are real, you might get about a month extra on the planet. Trade that off against thirty years of muscle pain and weakness, loss of libido, brain fog, etc. I suspect you could probably live longer if you were put in an induced coma, fed through a tube and suspended by wires from the ceiling. However, any increase in life expectancy needs to be balanced against squeezing a few scraps of enjoyment out of life.
The Top Ten Ways to Avoid Heart Disease and Live Longer Do not smoke Take exercise Spend time in the sun Start doing: yoga/meditation/mindfulness (whichever one floats your boat) Ensure you are connected to the society around you in some way Have a positive mental attitude Eat more fat and less carbohydrate – eat natural foods, do not worry about salt Take a few key supplements Do not worry about your cholesterol level Avoid taking more than five medications – if at all possible.
Some areas I highlighted:
Prescribing statins has continued to rise inexorably, with the latest recommendations in the UK being that every single man should be taking a statin by the age of sixty, regardless of whether they have any other risk factors for CVD. The official ceremony when you ‘reach the age of lifelong statination’ is significantly younger in the US, as you might expect. Looking at this latest development from a different angle, it is now possible to have ‘perfect’ cholesterol levels, ‘perfect’ blood pressure and ‘perfect’ every other single risk factor, yet when you reach a certain age the danger of suffering a cardiovascular (CV) event is so frighteningly high that you will have to take a drug, every day, for the rest of your life.
So today, without really trying and without having any disease diagnosed, you can be on at least eleven drugs. Two to lower blood sugar, two blood pressure lowering drugs, aspirin, omeprazole, alendronic acid, the calcium/vitamin D combination, clopidogrel and a statin.
Taking up to five tablets a day increased the danger of premature death by an estimated 47 per cent Those taking six medicines or more a day were nearly three times as likely to die prematurely
This book is primarily focused on two often fatal conditions – heart attacks and strokes. Whilst there are many different diseases that can damage the heart and the brain, in the majority of cases the problem is a disease of the arteries supplying blood to these organs.
The actual disease in the blood vessels that leads to most heart attacks and strokes is usually referred to as atherosclerosis. This is the development of lumps, or thickenings, in the artery wall. These thickenings are most often called atherosclerotic plaques.
atherosclerosis never develops in the veins and only very, very rarely in pulmonary blood vessels. This is even though these blood vessels are exposed to precisely the same concentration of cholesterol as the arteries. Yes, ponder that fact for a few moments.
Four other facts about calcium in your arteries that I find fascinating: Statins accelerate calcium build-up in arteries and on heart valves1 You can see considerable calcium deposits in the arteries of mummies from Egypt and other parts of the world Warfarin (commonly used in treating atrial fibrillation, or AF – an abnormal heart rhythm) accelerates calcium build-up in arteries, due to its action as a vitamin K antagonist2 There is some reasonably strong evidence that vitamin K supplementation may slow, or possibly even reverse, calcium build-up in arteries
Whilst there are many different type of heart attack, it remains true that the classic MI is the most common event, and the process is as follows. Over many years, a coronary artery narrows, as the underlying atherosclerotic plaque enlarges. Then the plaque ruptures, leading to the formation of a fully obstructive blood clot. This cuts off blood supply and an infarction will ensue. Around 40 per cent of classic MIs are immediately fatal.
What are Fats? The first thing to say here is that the terminology in this area is hopelessly confusing. I sometimes think there is a secret society out there, which has an evil plan to ensure that no one can understand anything about fats, cholesterol and the rest. Just consider the word ‘fat’. One can be fat, although no one can be called that any more. Fat can be removed from a steak, there are fat cells and you can call lots of fat cells clumped together fatty tissue. In addition, some people refer to triglycerides, which you may or may not have heard of, as fats. However, a triglyceride is also a lipoprotein, which is nothing like a fat at all. Having said all this, there is no such thing as a fat. Confused? Well, I am not surprised. It took me some time to work out what anyone was talking about.
The only reason I added this bit of rather off-putting biochemistry is that, if you block HMG-CoA reductase, then you block cholesterol production. The reason for mentioning this is because statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. That is how they work. Ah, the wonders of medical science. The body is desperately trying to make cholesterol to ensure perfect health and wellbeing, and we blithely throw a spanner into a complex 37-step process, one that is essential for human existence. Splendid idea, chaps.
As with fats, we have an immediate problem with terminology. The first issue is that you have no cholesterol floating free in your bloodstream, so it is impossible to have a blood cholesterol level. Scientifically, it cannot and does not exist. But the concept of a high cholesterol level has become so firmly concreted into the public consciousness that I am rather stuck with using it. (I am also going to use the generic term ‘lipid’ from now on, except when this is not possible.) Incidentally, the reason why cholesterol does not float about in the bloodstream is that it does not dissolve in water – thus blood. It shares this problem with lipids, such as triglycerides. Therefore the only way you can transport cholesterol and triglycerides around is to pack them into lipoproteins – a lipid/protein sphere. Lipoproteins come in various sizes and do different jobs. Here is a list, from the smallest to biggest: HDL – High-density lipoprotein (often called ‘good’ cholesterol) LDL – Low-density lipoprotein (often called ‘bad’ cholesterol) IDL – Intermediate-density lipoprotein (usually not talked about in polite company) VLDL – Very low-density lipoprotein (confusingly, usually called a triglyceride) Chylomicron – although it’s a lipoprotein it is not called a lipoprotein
Almost ten years after I mocked the concept of HDL-raising agents, we have the following comment about the success of the latest CETP inhibitor, called evacetrapib: ‘Steve Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic, said: “Here we have a paradox. The drug (evacetrapib) more than doubled HDL and lowered LDL levels by as much as many statins – but had no effect on cardiac events.”
So, what do we know? First, that animals which cannot synthesise vitamin C are at risk of developing scurvy, causing blood vessels to crack open and bleed. Second, that Lp(a) is present in the bloodstream of animals – including humans who cannot synthesise vitamin C – and its role is to plug the cracks that form in arteries. And third, Lp(a) is associated with a much higher rate of CVD; ‘… elevated Lp(a) levels associate robustly and specifically with increased CVD risk. The association is continuous in shape without a threshold and does not depend on high levels of LDL or non-HDL cholesterol, or on the levels or presence of other cardiovascular risk factors.’
until 2005, if you carried out a clinical trial and it was negative there was no requirement to publish it. You could just bury it and move on. So, who knows how many LDL-lowering agents have been tested over the years and failed to have any effect?
In the MRC trial, 17,354 patients were recruited and there were 85,572 patient years of observation. After all this, there were 248 deaths in the treated group and 253 deaths in the placebo group. It turned out that treating nearly 9,000 people for five years resulted in five fewer deaths. That equates to very nearly 9,000 years of treatment to delay one death. There was absolutely no difference in CV mortality.
Repatha/PSCK9. Here is a drug that costs $14,000 a year and massively lowers LDL, yet has no benefit on overall or CV mortality. Whoop-, as they say, de-doo.
Anything which improves NO synthesis will be highly beneficial and will reduce the risk of dying of CVD. On the other hand, anything that reduces NO synthesis will cause harm and increase the risk of CVD.
Which takes us back to statins because the primary pleiotropic effect of statins is that they, too, increase NO synthesis in endothelial cells.3 As a direct result of this: They lower blood pressure4 They are an anticoagulant, similar in effect to aspirin5 They increase the production of cells in the bone marrow that protect the lining of the arteries.
My own view is that any benefits of statins on CVD can be fully, indeed far better, explained by their beneficial impact on NO synthesis. LDL lowering is just an unfortunate adverse effect that it would be nice to remove.
there are only two points you need to know from the statin trials. The first is how much longer will you live for if you take a statin? And that’s not the same thing as an improvement in overall mortality. Second, how many nasty but not fatal conditions did statins prevent, e.g. non-fatal strokes and non-fatal heart attacks.
What then is the average increase in life expectancy from taking a statin in both primary and secondary prevention over around five years? Average increase in life expectancy in primary prevention was 3.2 days Average increase in life expectancy in secondary prevention was 4.1 days9 So, in answer to the question that no one ever asks – ‘If I take these statins for five years, how much longer am I likely to live, doc?’ – I can reply, ‘On average, between three and four days.’ Yes, figures are funny old things. A 36 per cent reduction in heart attacks sounds fantastically impressive. Equally, saving 1,000 lives a week seems like something we absolutely must do. The reality is rather more prosaic. Take a statin for five years and live an extra four days – max.
To put this another way, statins caused as many serious adverse events as they prevented (delayed). Or, to put it another way, they didn’t do any bloody good. So, bringing this together, what do we know about statins? They can increase life expectancy for about three to four days for every five years of treatment They have no benefit on SAEs
Another example that highlights the inability of clinical trials to pick up dangerous problems is that statins were studied in many clinical trials, for over 30 years, before it was finally noticed they cause diabetes. This was picked in the JUPITER trial in 2008.5 Now that people have been made aware of the connection, the increased risk of diabetes is thought to be very nearly 50 per cent (perhaps as high as 80 per cent). In fact, in a long-term study the risk of diabetes was found to increase by 363 per cent. my overriding concern about statins is that they cause a crushing burden of adverse effects that are insidious, often coming on slowly, often mimicking the impact of ageing. So much so that they are simply written off as, ‘What do you expect, you are getting older?’ Fatigue, memory problems, muscle pain, joint pain.
And, just to finish, here’s a quote on statins and Parkinson’s: ‘Statin use was associated with higher, not lower, Parkinson’s disease risk, and the association was more noticeable for lipophilic statins, an observation inconsistent with the current hypothesis that these statins protect nerve cells.’12 How can the current view that statins protect nerve cells possibly have any possible currency, when nerve cells have the highest concentration of cholesterol of any cells in the body?
Does Raised Cholesterol (LDL) Cause CVD? Itoyed with the idea of making this the shortest chapter in the book. In one short word … NO!
The first problem to emerge, as noted by Ancel Keys, is that cholesterol in the diet has little or no impact on the cholesterol level in your bloodstream. Undeterred, Keys simply adjusted the hypothesis. It became fat and cholesterol.
As the average cholesterol level in Japan has risen steadily, the rate of death from heart disease has not followed suit. Instead it has fallen by 60 per cent. At the same time the rate of stroke has fallen seven-fold. cent in that period. Thus, we don’t really talk about Japan so much any more.
French Paradox. The French have the highest saturated-fat consumption in Europe, slightly higher than average cholesterol levels, and the lowest CVD rate in Europe. Nearly as low as Japan. The simple fact is that there is absoutely no relationship between cholesterol levels in various countries and the rate of death from CVD. Yes indeed, in 2009 the Swiss had the highest average cholesterol level of any country in the world, and the second lowest rate of death from CHD in Europe, about the fourth lowest in the world.
for women, as cholesterol levels got higher, the rate of death from IHD fell by 40 per cent and pretty much stayed there, even when the total cholesterol level was above 7.0mmol/l.7
It was published in the British Medical Journal Open. (Open means free to view.) At the risk of self-aggrandisement, it was also the most read paper in the journal for five months in a row. We found that: ‘High LDL-C is inversely associated with mortality in most people over 60 years. This finding is inconsistent with the cholesterol hypothesis. Let me translate. In older people, the higher your LDL level, the longer you will live. Of course, it was immediately attacked from all sides.
It is clear that statins have many different effects and do not work by lowering LDL; their benefits are due to a positive impact on nitric oxide synthesis. LDL lowering is an unfortunate side effect.
in 1987 researchers went back to look at what happened to people in Framingham if their cholesterol levels started to fall. Presumably a 1 per cent fall would lead to a 2 per cent drop in the risk of CHD. Not quite. Here is what they found: ‘There is a direct association between falling cholesterol levels over the first fourteen years (of the study) and mortality over the following eighteen years.’ That association, however, was not in the expected direction.
Returning to statins, they have been repeatedly hailed as the wonder drug of all wonder drugs. In reality, they increase life expectancy by about three to four days after five years of treatment. This means that, if you took them for thirty years, assuming the benefits are real, you might get about a month extra on the planet. Trade that off against thirty years of muscle pain and weakness, loss of libido, brain fog, etc. I suspect you could probably live longer if you were put in an induced coma, fed through a tube and suspended by wires from the ceiling. However, any increase in life expectancy needs to be balanced against squeezing a few scraps of enjoyment out of life.
The Top Ten Ways to Avoid Heart Disease and Live Longer Do not smoke Take exercise Spend time in the sun Start doing: yoga/meditation/mindfulness (whichever one floats your boat) Ensure you are connected to the society around you in some way Have a positive mental attitude Eat more fat and less carbohydrate – eat natural foods, do not worry about salt Take a few key supplements Do not worry about your cholesterol level Avoid taking more than five medications – if at all possible.
April 2, 2025
I almost gave up reading this book around half way through. I found the author’s supercilious style and sarcastic attempts at humour off putting, not to mention the frequent misprints, which makes me think that the book was never submitted to an editor. However, it did pick up in the second half and I was able to glean what I hope was some helpful information on human anatomy and biochemistry.
October 17, 2019
I read this in total disbelief - and I'm still not sure what the truth is. Everything you think you know about nutrition, cholesterol, statins or fat is turned on its head in this book.
Kendrick does a good job at explaining the biochemistry involved in the topic at hand, but it gets a bit heady at times. By the end of the book, it felt like acronyms were dancing in front of my eyes and it took some work to remember which is good, bad and why.
Despite that, it's easy reading and I couldn't put down the book. Kendrick makes a very strong argument for everything he believes in.
There lies the dilemma for the reader: accept the status quo and guidelines you've been served your whole life or join the ranks of the cholesterol skeptics? Unlike antivaxxers' claims, here the science seems to add up. Choose wisely.
Kendrick does a good job at explaining the biochemistry involved in the topic at hand, but it gets a bit heady at times. By the end of the book, it felt like acronyms were dancing in front of my eyes and it took some work to remember which is good, bad and why.
Despite that, it's easy reading and I couldn't put down the book. Kendrick makes a very strong argument for everything he believes in.
There lies the dilemma for the reader: accept the status quo and guidelines you've been served your whole life or join the ranks of the cholesterol skeptics? Unlike antivaxxers' claims, here the science seems to add up. Choose wisely.
March 8, 2025
Thought-provoking book and an essential read for anyone considering stopping taking statins. Basically, they're a con but don't believe me, read the book. There's some impenetrable science (to me anyway) but don't let that put you off, there's not as much as in The Clot Thickens, by the same author though. Stick with it to the end as once the science is out of the way it's back to the good stuff. The jokey approach palls occasionally but it a very readable, and important, book. Highly recommend.
October 21, 2019
Thought provoking, just received two stents and the doctor said take Statins, Doctor Kendrick seems to have mounted a pretty good case for not taking them. What to do, I will probably follow my doctors advise but ? Also should one disregard all the dietary advise about keeping a low fat, low cholesterol diet which is contrary to Doctor Kendrick's recommendations. I thought the science regarding this was undisputed.
December 29, 2019
An interesting book. There are some great descriptions of the heart and cardiovascular system and what heart attacks and strokes are. I think he also has some valid points about big pharma and research - but he is glib and sarcastic which I found annoying. He might be right or the rest of the medical world might be right, only time will see.
P.S. I am nearly 2 weeks off statins (with my doctor's blessing) and feeling less brain fog and more alert.
P.S. I am nearly 2 weeks off statins (with my doctor's blessing) and feeling less brain fog and more alert.
June 11, 2019
I love it when author speaks so much sense you find yourself nodding to the point of having a sore neck.
Brilliant book, so much valuable reflection on the so called big studies. I am eternally grateful to people like Dr Kendrick for writing books like this. I can pass on so much to my patients and colleagues.
Brilliant book, so much valuable reflection on the so called big studies. I am eternally grateful to people like Dr Kendrick for writing books like this. I can pass on so much to my patients and colleagues.
September 5, 2019
Just more proof how the medical profession is driven by big Pharma profits. If you read this and believe the author's case (which he lays out well with corroborating studies ) you will never take a statin. We are constantly bombarded with so much contradictory medical information it's difficult to know what to believe.........
May 8, 2021
A fine skepticism
Kendrick’s breezy style conveys knotty medical ideas almost painlessly. His skepticism about the modern cholesterol hypothesis is demonstrated with numerous citations of studies that flatly contradict it, including the studies that allegedly prove the hypothesis. (He has a Dr. Evil, or maybe Dr. Dummy: Ancel Keys.) Drug companies, which have a vested interest in the vast income derived from statins, and which have tight relationships with the (compromised) researchers who support the hypothesis, get short shrift. After Kendrick, anyone who argues for the use of statins will have a hard row to hoe.
Kendrick’s breezy style conveys knotty medical ideas almost painlessly. His skepticism about the modern cholesterol hypothesis is demonstrated with numerous citations of studies that flatly contradict it, including the studies that allegedly prove the hypothesis. (He has a Dr. Evil, or maybe Dr. Dummy: Ancel Keys.) Drug companies, which have a vested interest in the vast income derived from statins, and which have tight relationships with the (compromised) researchers who support the hypothesis, get short shrift. After Kendrick, anyone who argues for the use of statins will have a hard row to hoe.
January 1, 2023
A Revelation
An absolutely brilliant book. I thought, as someone who cannot tolerate any statin, as I have found to my own painful experience, that I might find some useful advice in this book. The truth is, Dr Kendrick explores so many areas of modern mainstream medicine with an easy style of writing that makes this book an absolute must read.
An absolutely brilliant book. I thought, as someone who cannot tolerate any statin, as I have found to my own painful experience, that I might find some useful advice in this book. The truth is, Dr Kendrick explores so many areas of modern mainstream medicine with an easy style of writing that makes this book an absolute must read.
June 23, 2024
An outstanding introduction to maintain your health in spite of poor medical advice
So many claims made by doctors, medical researchers, public health officials and especially pharmaceutical company representatives has turned out to be wrong headed and even dangerous. Have you ever heard of the replication crisis? There are huge financial incentives to get people on drugs unnecessarily. Read this book and follow the recommendations at the end, and your health will improve. For more specific recommendations, check out PD Mangan on Twitter or X and read his books. I used to be on statins and had brain fog that is now gone. At age 60, I can do more pullups and bar dips than almost all men half my age and I am convinced that my health is far better than almost everyone my age.
So many claims made by doctors, medical researchers, public health officials and especially pharmaceutical company representatives has turned out to be wrong headed and even dangerous. Have you ever heard of the replication crisis? There are huge financial incentives to get people on drugs unnecessarily. Read this book and follow the recommendations at the end, and your health will improve. For more specific recommendations, check out PD Mangan on Twitter or X and read his books. I used to be on statins and had brain fog that is now gone. At age 60, I can do more pullups and bar dips than almost all men half my age and I am convinced that my health is far better than almost everyone my age.
February 2, 2020
A good book
This gave information on how studies on statins are misrepresented to the public. It also talked about how eating carbohydrates in excess is more likely to cause heart disease than eating saturated fat. I'm glad I read this book. Very informative.
This gave information on how studies on statins are misrepresented to the public. It also talked about how eating carbohydrates in excess is more likely to cause heart disease than eating saturated fat. I'm glad I read this book. Very informative.
Read
October 3, 2021Takes awhile to read this as there is a lot to think about. Makes so much sense, particularly tied to what is going on today. Once a medical "fact" is ingrained, "science" has a very difficult time letting go.
April 23, 2023
A fine balance between imparting medical information and maintaining a jaunty style of prose. Immensely readable and informative. A medical background isn't necessary to appreciate the contents, but a grounding in biological science is a definite plus. (A level Biology and Chemistry).
May 29, 2019
Be sure to read this before a doctor prescribes statins.
Anyone who is likely to have a doctor prescribe a statin to them should read this book first...and probably instead.
Anyone who is likely to have a doctor prescribe a statin to them should read this book first...and probably instead.
May 9, 2022
To much information that is not needed. Not enough about if you should quit your Statin drugs. I really want to get off my medication.
May 18, 2022
More than just about Statin medication
Their are few books on medicine that offer something more than the prevailing medical and pharmaceutical view. This is one of them.
Their are few books on medicine that offer something more than the prevailing medical and pharmaceutical view. This is one of them.
July 20, 2022
Probably the most important book you’ll tread.
By his own admission the author admits to some complicated chapters but stick with it, this book could save your life.
By his own admission the author admits to some complicated chapters but stick with it, this book could save your life.
July 30, 2023
Interesting well written and easy to understand
Read
January 7, 2024No statins.
Take Vitamin D.
Take exercise.
HFLC and avoid processed foods.
Maverick physician.
Take Vitamin D.
Take exercise.
HFLC and avoid processed foods.
Maverick physician.
April 4, 2024
THE BEST!!
Dr. Kendrick presents an amazing amount of evidence against status quo medicine. He then presents logical ways to maintain a healthy and happy life.
Dr. Kendrick presents an amazing amount of evidence against status quo medicine. He then presents logical ways to maintain a healthy and happy life.
May 2, 2024
Absolutely mind blowing
Love every word of this book. It’s clinical, yet readable and understandable. It’s opened my eyes! I’m planning on following his advice.
Love every word of this book. It’s clinical, yet readable and understandable. It’s opened my eyes! I’m planning on following his advice.
February 28, 2025
For me, a revelatory read that will genuinely cause me to engage MUCH more sceptically with any medical advice I am given.
May 8, 2023
Read it,
if you dare! Some mind blowing statistics and useful info and shocking Big Pharma shenanigans (aka greed in all it's monstrosity).
if you dare! Some mind blowing statistics and useful info and shocking Big Pharma shenanigans (aka greed in all it's monstrosity).
October 19, 2019
Great- well worth reading
From someone who had put in the time, the reading and the research so that he has actually studied much of the evidence. He also has the doctor practice to give further insight.
From someone who had put in the time, the reading and the research so that he has actually studied much of the evidence. He also has the doctor practice to give further insight.
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