The Pros and Cons of Statins and Supplements for Reducing Cholesterol

By Mike DuBose with Blake DuBose and Surb Guram, MD

 

Part IV of the Lowering Cholesterol without Statin Drugs Series

It’s common knowledge that high cholesterol levels are dangerous to heart health. Fortunately, we have many tools in our arsenal that can help promote a long, healthy life, but every person’s body is different, and some may have genetic factors making them need extra help fighting high cholesterol. Depending on your individual risk factors and lipid numbers, your doctor may suggest that you implement lifestyle changes (lose weight, eat healthier, change cooking methods, implement regular exercise, quit smoking, reduce stress, etc.) and/or take a statin drug. There are both pros and cons to statins, as well as some supplements that are purported to lower cholesterol as well.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Statins are drugs that can lower your cholesterol. They work by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. Statins may also help your body reabsorb cholesterol that has built up in plaques on your artery walls, preventing further blockage in your blood vessels and heart attacks. Statins include medications such as Lipitor, Lescol, Altoprev, Livalo, Pravachol, Crestor, and Zocor. Lower-cost generic versions of many statin medications are available.”

Statin drugs are beneficial since they have the potential to reverse coronary disease. WebMD.com states: “Statins reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and even death about 25 to 35%. Studies also show that statins can reduce the chances of recurrent strokes or heart attacks by about 40%.”

Unfortunately, as WebMD notes, millions of people suffer side effects when taking statins, including headaches, insomnia, flushing of the skin, drowsiness and dizziness, nausea, and muscle or joint pains. The good news, however, is that studies have shown that a multi-pronged approach incorporating diet, exercise, stress reduction, and social support can match statin drugs’ health benefits! It is not always easy to implement, but it is a wise choice for those who need to lower cholesterol without using statins.

Before resorting to statin drugs, ask your doctor if you can attempt to reduce your cholesterol using some of the following lifestyle changes first. Schedule a four-month follow-up appointment with a lipid blood test so that you can jointly review your progress and decide how to move forward. Many of these scientifically-proven methods (especially losing weight, exercising more, and eating healthier) helped me to lower my overall score from 199 mg/dl to 164 mg/dl (35 points)! Try implementing some of them for a healthier lifestyle, and you may be able to skip statins altogether.

If you do take a stain drug and experience side effects, consider trying other brands of statins since they work on different parts of the body. When starting on statins, ask your doctor if you can begin with a low dose and take it every other day to see how the statin impacts your body and mind. Then, increase the dosage slowly (if needed) under your doctor’s supervision.

As for supplements, for the most part, as the Mayo Clinic reported, they are not very effective for controlling cholesterol. However, although there is insufficient research available, scientists are seeing promising results from artichoke, barley, Metamucil (contains psyllium), oak bran, and sitostanol. Some supplements, like red yeast, contain cholesterol-lowering components, but may be unsafe. Here are some of the most popular supplements marketed toward people with high cholesterol and some notes on their effectiveness:

Multi-vitamins: A long-term study with large numbers of participants using a Centrum brand multivitamin found no evidence that it decreased the incidence of heart disease or had any impact on participants’ cholesterol. Consumer Reports also stated in 2013 that studies of folic acid and B, C, and E vitamins did not prove that they impacted cholesterol levels. High levels of vitamin E did increase the risk of strokes, however!

Niacin: This vitamin B supplement has long been believed to help raise good HDL cholesterol. However, according to Mayo Clinic and other reports, a large-scale study was recently stopped because over-the-counter niacin was found not to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and there were harmful side effects such as liver damage and small increases in risk of stroke, bleeding, diabetes, and infection.

Garlic: For many years, garlic was considered a heart-healthy supplement, but a recent study found that it did not lower cholesterol. More research is still being conducted.

CoQ10: This supplement is an antioxidant made in the human body that is needed for basic cell function, according to the Mayo Clinic and WebMD. CoQ10 levels decrease with age and may be low in people with cancer, certain genetic disorders, diabetes, and heart conditions. CoQ10 has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol in mice, but it has not been adequately researched in humans. It also presents side effects: taking 100 mg a day or more has caused mild insomnia in some people, and research has detected elevated levels of liver enzymes in people taking 300 mg per day for long periods of time. Other reported side effects include rashes, nausea, upper abdominal pain, dizziness, sensitivity to light, irritability, headache, heartburn, and fatigue.

Fish oil: This supplement has been proven to help many medical conditions, and is especially effective in lowering triglycerides, according to the National Institutes of Health and Consumer Reports. Harvard University Medical School also says that it may help alleviate depression, and it has also been linked to reduced joint and muscle pains and improved heart rhythms. To reduce triglycerides, NIH recommends beginning by taking one 360 mg omega-3 pill per day with food and gradually increasing to three or four.

Buying fish oil can be confusing, but as a rule of thumb, look at the milligrams of omega-3s that are present. The first number on the label usually means how much overall fish oil is contained in one tablet, often 1,200 milligrams. Look for the second number, which is the amount of actual omega-3 oil, and aim for 360 mg. Eat fish, nuts, and/or other foods rich in omega-3s in combination with fish oil supplements to ensure you are getting enough. Consumer Reports noted that taking a fish oil supplement alone without eating other foods rich in omega-3 is insufficient to reach the levels needed to lower your cholesterol.

Studies have not completely determined how much fish oil one should safely take. Taken in daily dosages of 4 grams or less, it’s considered safe with few side effects. However, in dosages of more than 4 grams per day, it can have some side effects, such as bleeding (it thins the blood), an impaired immune system, heartburn, bad breath, nausea, rashes, allergies, lowered blood pressure, and loose stools. It can also interfere with birth control medicine and harm sugar level regulation in diabetics, so consult with your doctor before taking this supplement.

Consumer Reports recommends the brand Nature Made (choose the burpless, which is coated and lessens the possibility of fish breath), the only over-the-counter certified fish oil purified to remove the mercury that can be found in some other brands. (Look for “buy one get one free” deals at pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens every few weeks.) Nature Made does not contain any colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, or glutens.

The bottom line: Statin drugs can be very effective in reducing cholesterol, but they also bring many potential side effects to the table. As with any health issue, discuss your options carefully with your doctor before taking statin drugs, and be wary of supplements. Every person is different, so work with medical professionals to tailor your health journey to the most effective methods for you!

We know that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, heart attacks, heart disease, and possibly even dementia and cancer may be related to things both within (stress, foods, and lifestyles) and outside of our control (genetics). How we choose to live our lives plays a large role in preventing or delaying disease, disabilities, and even premature death! Every day, we make choices that will influence our future. We hope that you will utilize some of the strategies discussed in this article to help make your life a long, healthy, and happy one!

Please visit www.mikedubose.com/cholesterol for an extended version of this article.

 

About the Authors: Our corporate and personal purpose is to “create opportunities to improve lives” by sharing our knowledge, research, experiences, successes, and mistakes. You can e-mail us at [email protected].

Mike DuBose, a University of South Carolina graduate, is the author of The Art of Building a Great Business. He has been in business since 1981 and is the owner of Research Associates, the Evaluation Group, DuBose Fitness Center, and Columbia Conference Center. Visit his nonprofit website www.mikedubose.com for a free copy of his book and additional business, travel, health, and personal published articles.

Blake DuBose graduated from Newberry College’s Schools of Business and Psychology and is president of DuBose Web Group (www.duboseweb.com).

Katie Beck serves as Director of Communications for the DuBose family of companies. She graduated from the USC School of Journalism and Honors College.

Dr. Surb Guram, MD is a board-certified internist and a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He is a partner with the SC Internal Medicine Associates in Irmo, SC and has practiced internal medicine in the Midlands for the past 30 years. See www.scinternalmedicine.com for more information on Dr. Guram and his practice.

© Copyright 2015 by Mike DuBose—All Rights Reserved. You have permission and we encourage you to forward the full article to friends or colleagues and/or distribute it as part of personal or professional use, providing that the authors are credited. However, no part of this article may be altered or published in any other manner without the written consent of the authors. If you would like written approval to post this information on an appropriate website or to publish this information, please contact Katie Beck at [email protected] and briefly explain how the article will be used; we will respond promptly. Thank you for honoring our hard work!

 

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