The Statin Diaries: Can High Levels of Cholesterol Be Healthy?

I told you on Dec. 30 that ever since I began taking the statin drug recommended by my VIP doc, I’ve been needing more sleep, taking more naps, and feeling brain-fogged. I couldn’t say for sure that my fatigue was a response to the statin, but when I did some initial research, I discovered that fatigue and brain fog are responses reported by about 60% of those that use these drugs.

Since then, I’ve learned other things. One fact that especially bothered me is that, although statins definitely lower total cholesterol counts (primarily by bringing down high-density lipoproteins – the bad kind), they don’t have any positive effect on lifespan. Take them or don’t take them, your life expectancy is the same.

That didn’t sound right, and so I continued to look for articles and studies that contradicted this conclusion. But I could find none. I brought the question to a few of my doctor friends that prescribe statins. Only one, my cardiologist, had an answer that made some kind of sense. He said that yes, statins won’t extend your lifespan, but they have been proven to lower the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

I thought that was interesting. It suggests that even though statins won’t help you live longer, at least they will reduce the chances that you’ll be spending your remaining time on earth partially paralyzed and/or unable to speak.

This conversation with my cardiologist happened a week ago, so I haven’t had a chance to verify his stance. I’m looking into it now and will report my findings to you when I feel like I have some reasonable level of confidence in answering the life-expectancy question.

One thing I’m looking at now is a conversation between a doctor and a scientist who specializes in cardiovascular disease. They cover a broad range of topics related to statins and cardiovascular health, including some startling facts that challenge the conventional wisdom about cholesterol levels. High levels of overall cholesterol, they seemed to agree, is not necessarily an unhealthy thing.

In fact, for people in their seventies (like me), high cholesterol levels can be a considerable plus. You’ll see that in the attached video when, about half through, the scientist shows a graph of how statins affect mortality over various ages. And it turns out that people in their seventies with high cholesterol (and particularly high HDL) outlive people of the same age whose cholesterol counts are in the recommended range.

Imagine if that is true!

It will mean my chances of living longer will improve if I stop taking this drug that is tiring me out. I’m not drawing any conclusions right now. I’ll keep doing my research and will ask a few of my doctor friends what they think. But the results of this macro-study are giving me hope.

Check it out here.