Statins are commonly prescribed as cholesterol lowering agents and many individuals take them in the belief that they will reduce their risk of heart disease. Statins are considered by some as among the most successful drugs of all time and have been credited with preventing millions of heart attacks and strokes. However, there are many people who prefer not to take statins due to potential side-effects which include possible liver and kidney problems and a possible increased risk of cancer.
A recently published study (1) by British researchers calls into question the expanded use of statins such in patients who do not have heart disease but may develop it. The study was a meta-analysis, which reviews all previous published scientific evidence, which found scant evidence that statins saved lives in the short term in groups without heart disease.
The authors of the study wrote that (1) “There is little evidence that statins reduce the risk of dying from any cause in individuals without heart disease,” “This, along with harms caused by statins in some subgroups, have called into question the benefit of statins in primary prevention [prevention of the development of heart disease].” They conclude that “The results of the trial do not support the use of statin treatment for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and raise troubling questions concerning the role of commercial sponsors”
Previously I have written about a few natural ways to reduce cholesterol and also about the possible cholesterol reducing effects of artichoke leaf extract
One of the studies (2) I mentioned stated that:
“Lifestyle changes combined with ingestion of red yeast rice and fish oil reduced LDL-Cholesterol in proportions similar to standard therapy with simvastatin. Pending confirmation in larger trials, this multifactorial, alternative approach to lipid lowering has promise for a subset of patients unwilling or unable to take statins”
Recently (3,4,5) further studies have found that red yeast rice might be useful in patients who have either a statin intolerance or who, for other reasons, have chosen not to take statins. A small study this year (3) looked at the use of red yeast rice versus pravastatin medication in patients who were unable to tolerate other statins because of myalgia (muscle pain). Individuals were assigned to red yeast rice supplement 2,400 mg twice daily or pravastatin 20 mg twice daily for 12 weeks and all subjects were enrolled in a 12-week therapeutic lifestyle change program. The results showed that red yeast rice was tolerated as well as pravastatin and achieved a comparable reduction (of around 30%) of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (‘bad’ cholesterol) in a population previously intolerant to statins. The other two studies also found that re yeast rice decreased LDL cholesterol levels and may be considered a treatment option in patients intolerant to statin therapy.
The studies were small and so firm conclusions over the use of this supplement cannot be drawn. However, evidence for many alternatives to statins are coming to light and, in conjunction with lifestyle changes which include increased daily activity and exercise, cannot be discounted. Chinese red yeast rice is a dietary supplement which contains a variety of components such as monacolins, unsaturated fatty acids, and phytosterols which may be capable of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
If you decide to try any supplement for cholesterol lowering I would encourage you to check with your medical doctor prior to beginning the regimen. If you are already taking any medications for heart disease, cholesterol or any condition it is crucial to check with your prescribing doctor before taking a supplement.
(1)de Lorgeril M et al. 2010. Cholesterol Lowering, Cardiovascular Diseases, and the Rosuvastatin-JUPITER Controversy. A Critical Reappraisal. Arch Intern Med. 170(12):1032-1036.
(2) Becker DJ et al. 2008. Simvastatin vs Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes and Supplements: Randomized Primary Prevention Trial. Mayo Clin Proc. 83:758-764
(3) Halbert SC et al. 2010. Tolerability of red yeast rice (2,400 mg twice daily) versus pravastatin (20 mg twice daily) in patients with previous statin intolerance. Am J Cardiol. 105(2):198-204.
(4) Venero CV et al. 2010. Lipid-lowering efficacy of red yeast rice in a population intolerant to statins. Am J Cardiol. 105(5):664-6.
(5) Becker DJ et al. 2010. Red yeast rice for dyslipidemia in statin-intolerant patients: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 150(12):830-9, W147-9.
Written by Ani Kowal
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