Statin drugs may do more harm than good, article claims

"Statins," already the most prescribed drugs in history, are being recommended for more and more patients as "primary prevention" for cardiovascular disease. Nearly 900 studies have been published on the adverse effects of these medications, and a look at their mechanism of action suggests ample reason for caution. Neurospecialist and pharmacologist Timothy Marshall, discusses the controversy in the summer issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.

"Massive corporate-funded campaigns have further promoted the idea that cholesterol...is an enemy to be avoided, or at the very least, minimized at all costs," Dr Marshall writes. In fact, "it is a vital and essential nutrient," he noted.

Several recent studies have shown that lower serum cholesterol levels are associated with a lower survival rate (increased mortality). Cholesterol is needed for proper immune system function, the synthesis of steroid hormones, and the integrity of the nervous system. The body needs adequate cholesterol levels to make vitamin D, which has anti-cancer activity and many other health-promoting functions, the article states.