Low Cholesterol Increases Cancer and Death Risk

(NaturalNews) In a major shot fired across the bow of the statin marketing
machine, the levels of LDL cholesterol that are the artificial targets of
"health" promoted by the American Heart Association (AHA) are now found to
be associated with a significant increased risk of cancer and death.

The AHA recommends an LDL level of 100 for prevention and 70 for high risk
patients. In the new study an LDL level of 107 was associated with a 33%
increased risk of cancer and death, an LDL level of 87 was associated with a
50% increased risk. As the LDL goes lower the risk keeps getting worse.
These arbitrary AHA levels for LDL cholesterol were established by "experts"
with direct financial ties to the statin industry, who knew full well that
reaching their artificially low target levels for LDL would require double
and triple doses of statin drugs, thus dramatically increasing sales (which
has indeed happened).

The Vytorin fraud has pointed out quite clearly that lowering LDL
cholesterol to very low levels does not reduce cardiovascular disease.
Another Vytorin study also shows doing so increases cancer risk by 64%. The
new study paints the clear picture that lowering LDL too low actually
increases the rate of death from any cause. This new study also points out
the statistical shenanigans that the statin industry uses to hide the actual
risks of these drugs in the studies that have been published.

The data was so alarming that the researchers called for a statistical
reanalysis of the data from all existing cholesterol studies, using better
statistical models that actually reflect true risk. The results of this new
research led the authors to conclude "A low LDL cholesterol level is not
necessarily associated with optimal clinical outcomes but is a predictor of
cancer and death."

We have known for many years that individuals who maintain an LDL
cholesterol level of 130 as they enter their 40s and 50s have much less
heart disease as they grow older. This is because they are healthy and have
maintained fitness in their cholesterol function and metabolism. There is no
credible data to show that lowering LDL numbers with statins actually
produces a similar level of health, especially to artificially low numbers.
There is a huge difference between having good cholesterol numbers because
you are healthy and drugging your body's synthesis of cholesterol with
statins.

In the current study the ideal LDL cholesterol level was 126. The
researchers were able to identify a bell shaped curve, in terms of a
departure in either direction from this ideal number. LDL over 146 or less
than 107 was associated with 33% increased risk of cancer. LDL over 164 of
less than 87 was associated with a 50% increased risk. The risk keeps
getting worse the higher or lower the number progresses away from the ideal
of 126. LDL in the range of 108 - 145 had no statistically significant
cancer risk, although being in the center of this range is clearly best.

There have been a number of studies in the past that link low cholesterol
and cancer risk. However, these studies could not prove that the cancer was
not already there prior to the start of the study - which has been the main
argument used (besides statistical manipulation) by the statin industry to
deny the association. In the new study this issue was taken into account by
eliminating participants with less than 2.5 years follow up after the start
of the study, thus demonstrating that the results were not due to
pre-existing cancer.

Needless to say, this study was not part of the marketing machine propaganda
that is rampant in universities and "scientific" journals that have been
used to promote the statin scam around the world, while actively
blackmailing and blacklisting any authors, institutions, or journals that
dare to step on Big Pharma's statin toes. This study was published on August
26, 2008 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It was carried out in
Hong Kong with Chinese patients who had type II diabetes - the exact patient
who is forced onto aggressive cholesterol lowering with statin drugs in
America.

It is quite clear that scientific knowledge and advanced statistical
analysis are no longer under the control of Big Pharma and its legions of
scientists, universities, and medical journals that are on the take,
misrepresenting data, and actively suppressing negative findings. The truth
is coming out because Big Pharma is targeting the citizens of the world as a
new market for statin sales. And they are also targeting our children,
wanting infants seven months of age to have LDL levels of 50 and keep them
at that level their whole life (with drugs, since such levels are totally
abnormal).

The insanity must stop. Americans have been conned. Big Pharma and the
American Heart Association should be held responsible for past crimes and
future intended crimes against the health of our citizens under the false
pretense of improved cardiovascular health.

Sources:
Link to full Canadian Medical Association Journal article:
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/179...

Link to fully referenced version of this article:
http://www.wellnessresources.com/health...

About the author: Byron J. Richards, Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist,
nationally-renowned nutrition expert, and founder of Wellness Resources is a
leader in advocating the value of dietary supplements as a vital tool to
maintain health. He is an outspoken critic of government and Big Pharma
efforts to deny access to natural health products and has written
extensively on the life-shortening and health-damaging failures of the
sickness industry. www.wellnessresources.com askbyron@wellnessresources.com