Statins and Science?

One of the top selling drugs of all time is Lipitor. Lipitor is the chemical compound of Atorvastatin calcium marketed by Viatris currently and was originally sold by Pfizer. Lipitor sales peaked at nearly $13 Billion during 2006 and sold $2 Billion during 2019. The Lipitor patent rolled off in 2011 when sales were $10 Billion.

The science behind Atorvastatin calcium is that it lowers your LDL-cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase. It lowers total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B (apo B), non-high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (non-HDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) plasma concentrations while increasing HDL-C concentrations.

High LDL-C, low HDL-C and high TG concentrations in the plasma are associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. The total cholesterol to HDL-C ratio is a strong predictor of coronary artery disease, and high ratios are associated with a higher risk of disease. Increased levels of HDL-C are associated with lower cardiovascular risk. By decreasing LDL-C and TG and increasing HDL-C, atorvastatin reduces the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

While the aforementioned theory is true, it is also true that a simple plant based diet accomplishes the same drop in LDL-C and TG while increasing HDLs (over a 30-60 day period). The problem with that statin based approach is that while the drug inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, it also inhibit insulin production and renal functions. It is known that the reduction of insulin production leads to diabetes which will then in turn lead to more medicines taking the aforementioned approach. It is also well known that the atherosclerosis does not heal from the use of statins, but a plant based diet actually heals the atherosclerosis condition while improving renal function and insulin production.

A normal kidney has about 1 million filtering units. Each unit, called a glomerulus, connects to a tubule, which collects urine. Conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes take a toll on kidney function by damaging these filtering units and collecting tubules and causing scarring.

By Contrast, a damaged kidney (above) has damaged glomerulus and tubules with excessive scar tissue reducing the kidneys ability to filter

Sadly, it is well known that a traditional perscpriptive course starts with statins which yes reduce cholesterol, but reduce insulin production which leads to diabetes and eventual kidney failure. By contrast, the root cause can be changed deterministically with a plant based diet which reduces cholesterol, increases renal function and clears beta-amyloid and general inflammation in the brain and body.

Check out our Foodie Body 30 day plan download (free). Test your labs independently to verify the results. You may also search our recipes for free and you may upload your personal blood labs to customize the food search for your personal chemistry.

Abstract from the national institute of health

Biochemistry