Cholesterol lowering drugs, such as statin medications, are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol and are many times effective.

HOWEVER, it takes more than a medication alone to improve overall health and control cholesterol. Lifestyle changes are necessary.

Other risks to consider

Individuals with high cholesterol are often overweight. If you simply pop a pill to correct the cholesterol problem and do nothing to address being overweight you leave yourself at risk for other weight related health conditions, such as diabetes, joint problems, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.

Unknown risks

Continue reading ‘You Need More Than Medication to Lower Cholesterol’ »

I had the opportunity to interview hypertension expert Dr. Mark Houston last month (February 2010). Here are three of the questions he answered.

Lisa Nelson RD: It is typically recommended that cholesterol medications be taken prior to bed. Would you explain the reason why? Also, is there a best time of day to take blood pressure medication?

Dr. Houston: Statins work best at night to inhibit an enzyme in the liver when cholesterol production is the highest. Blood pressure medications are best taken at night to reduce the early morning increase in blood pressure which is highest between 3 AM and 10AM.

Lisa Nelson RD: If you discontinue a blood pressure medication how long does it stay in your system?

Dr. Houston: It depends on the duration of action of the medication. Some of the longer acting medications may last for 24 to 72 hours. However most are gone in 24 hours or less. Never stop any blood pressure medication abruptly especially beta blockers and clonidine, as withdrawal may occur with rapid increases in blood pressure, heart rate, headache, chest pain, palpitations and even heart attack or stroke.

Lisa Nelson RD: When someone has uncontrolled systolic blood pressure (diastolic tends to be within normal) what are steps they can take to promote control of systolic blood pressure?

Dr. Houston: Low salt, high magnesium intake, high potassium intake, fruits and vegetables, exercise, weight loss. The best medications for Systolic blood pressure are ACEI, ARB and CCB. Diuretics and beta blockers are less effective. High systolic usually means stiff arteries.

I’ll be posting more of the Q&A with Dr. Houston over the next few weeks. Sign-up for the e-course 7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure and you’ll also be notified when the new blog posts are added.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
http://www.lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com

Dr. Lundell is a heart surgeon who wrote the book The Great Cholesterol Lie. In the book he discusses the effect of statin medication on cholesterol levels. He’s against the use of statin medication. I’ve put together an email series of four articles written by Dr. Lundell. They cover the following topics:

• The Tragic Cholesterol Theory
• Cardiac Surgeon Admits Mistake
• The Great Statin Scam
• Crestor Study, JUPITER Results Hardly Exciting

If you are considering statin medications or currently take statin meds, I recommend you learn more about what Dr. Lundell has to share.

You can use the form below to access the article series or go to http://www.lisanelsonrd.com/lundell.html to sign-up.

The Great Cholesterol Lie – Instant Article Series and [Heart Health] Access