Many people are concerned about high cholesterol levels, and as a result, millions of people are taking cholesterol lowering medication (statins). However, what I’m about to discuss here will hopefully help you understand why most people who are taking statins don’t need to do so, and how taking them to lower your cholesterol can actually lead to numerous health issues, and ultimately worsen your thyroid condition.
First of all, while having high cholesterol is feared by many people, the truth is that we need cholesterol to survive. In addition, cholesterol serves as a precursor to the steroid hormones, and so by taking cholesterol-lowering medication, you can very well be creating a hormone imbalance, which could make it more difficult to restore your health back to normal through a natural thyroid treatment protocol.
But what about people who truly have high cholesterol levels? While there is no question that some people do have abnormally high cholesterol levels and perhaps can benefit from taking statins, there are many people taking statins who have cholesterol levels which are perfectly fine. Before I discuss some of the risks of taking cholesterol-lowering medication, let me explain why so many people are taking statins unnecessarily.
It’s All About The Drug Companies
To no surprise, it’s the drug companies that are primarily responsible for the massive amount of people taking cholesterol-lowering medication. After all, we’re talking about a multi-billion dollar industry that does a wonderful job of marketing their products, thus convincing many people they need to take these drugs. They have done a magnificent job of scaring the public into thinking that high cholesterol leads to an increase in mortality from heart disease and strokes, which it doesn’t. And if you want some research to support this, simply read the book called “The Great Cholesterol Con”, by Dr. Malcom Kendrick. He provides plenty of research that refutes the drug companies claims about cholesterol-lowering medication. And there are numerous other sources besides this book that confirm this.
Yes, you did hear me correctly, as research shows that high cholesterol levels DO NOT lead to increased mortality due to heart disease and stroke. It’s also true that eating foods that contain high amounts of cholesterol will usually not lead to high cholesterol levels. Don’t get me wrong, as having extremely high levels of cholesterol isn’t healthy, and some of these people should be taking statins. However, some doctors will recommend statins to every single one of their patients with a cholesterol level higher than 200 mg/dl, and some will even prescribe statins to those with levels greater than 180 mg/dl.
So does this mean that someone with a cholesterol level of 250 mg/dl, for example, shouldn’t be concerned about their health? Let’s put it this way: there are more important health factors that I would look at before cholesterol, such as one’s heart rate, blood pressure, RBC and WBCs, etc. In other words, if someone has a high cholesterol level, and otherwise they seem to be in an excellent state of health, then I honestly wouldn’t be too concerned, and therefore wouldn’t recommend that they take drugs to lower there cholesterol levels.
The main problem is that many people with high cholesterol levels have other health issues that should be a cause of concern. But again, don’t believe me regarding the “cholesterol myth”, as there is plenty of research out there to support this. On the other hand, even though you’ll see plenty of content on the internet stating that increased cholesterol levels (>200 mg/dl) will increase the risk of heart disease, keep in mind that there is no research that conclusively proves this. Keep in mind I’m not refuting that people with increased cholesterol levels have a greater risk of coronary heart disease, but what I am arguing against is that high cholesterol levels is THE CAUSE of heart disease and strokes, which is what many people believe.
In other words, people with high cholesterol usually have other risk factors that will lead to an increase in heart disease and stroke. But just having a high cholesterol level alone will not necessarily lead to an increase in heart disease or stroke, and no research has proved otherwise so far.
Low Cholesterol Can Be Harmful To Your Thyroid Health
As I mentioned earlier, cholesterol is an important precursor to both the male and female steroid hormones. Cholesterol is the precursor to pregnenolone, which is converted to progesterone. And if you’ve been reading my articles and blog posts for awhile then you probably know how important progesterone is. A progesterone deficiency can lead to a condition called estrogen dominance, which can create a whole host of health problems, including thyroid conditions.
Progesterone in turn is important for the formation of cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone, and estrogen, and so having a very low cholesterol level can not only lead to low progesterone levels, but in turn can also cause a decrease in these other essential hormones. Now to be honest, most people don’t have cholesterol levels low enough to cause these problems. On the other hand, some people do, and some of these people have this problem due to them taking cholesterol lowering medication.
In addition to being responsible for the formation of the steroid hormones, cholesterol has many other important functions, as it’s required to create Vitamin D, important for cognitive function, as well as for cell membrane integrity. So the drug companies, as well as many medical doctors, try to make out cholesterol as being unhealthy at certain levels, but the truth is that many people’s cholesterol levels are fine but are told otherwise.
Do High Cholesterol Levels Lead To An Increased Life Span?
Believe it or not, numerous research studies show that people with the highest cholesterol levels live the longest. Once again, this doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be concerned with an extremely high cholesterol level. But the main point of this article is just to make you aware of the importance of cholesterol not only to your thyroid health, but to your overall health. And rather than just listen to everything that your medical doctor and the drug companies tell you, it’s important to keep an open mind.
In summary, having high cholesterol will not increase the chances of you dying from heart disease or a stroke. And while I can’t tell you or anyone else to stop taking statins, just keep in mind that just as is the case with most prescription drugs, there are potential consequences that go along with the benefits. Ultimately it’s up to you to continue to educate yourself about this so you can make an informed decision on your own regarding the use of cholesterol-lowering medication.
Please provide links to a few of the numerous studies that show a positive correlation between cholesterol levels and lifespan in humans. I can’t find them.
Hi Ronald,
Have you read the book “The Great Cholesterol Con”, by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick? He provides numerous references in his book that you might want to check out. Now don’t get me wrong, as I’m suggesting that based on this book alone and the references he provides that people should increase their cholesterol levels to live a longer life. And I agree that we all have our biases. While I’m not opposed to conventional medicine, or even statins, I do prefer taking a natural approach if at all possible. The overall point of the post is that many of us are too concerned about lowering our cholesterol levels, and many people don’t look at the potential consequences of taking statins, and at the same time don’t realize the health issues that can develop by having low cholesterol levels. We just need to keep an open mind, and realize that while there is a time and place for taking medication, there are natural alternatives out there.
I went back to look again. I had used the term “lifespan” when I should have used “mortality” or “longevity.” What I found (not surprisingly) are that the data seem to be mixed, sometimes apparently because of confounding factors, such as disease states that reduce cholesterol. Nonetheless, as far as I can tell, the preponderance of evidence validates the positive correlation between cholesterol levels and CVD and mortality. We all suffer from some degree of confirmation bias; pick a position, and you can find studies to support it, as well as reasons why contrary evidence should be dismissed.
I couldn’t agree more with you. I’ve always had a high cholesterol level and have resisted statin drugs. My last test showed total=244 hdl=68 ldl=164 ratio=3.6 trigl=62
I’ve had stress tests and always came out ok.
I’m more concerned with Homocysteine and CRP levels. I also understand there is a test now for oxidized ldl, which from my reading, is the only part of ldl that can adhere to artery walls and then only if the walls are damaged, which homocysteine level addresses.