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Paradoxically the more Zetia (ezetimibe) lowered LDL, the greater the progression of atherosclerosis

The greater the reduction in LDL cholesterol in statin users who were also given the cholesterol-lowering drug Zetia (ezetimibe), the greater the acceleration of atherosclerosis according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“We found an unexpected paradoxical relationship of a greater degree of atherosclerosis progression in patients with larger, [ Zetia-induced ] ezetimibe-induced reductions in LDL cholesterol level,” the researchers noted.

“The use of [ Zetia ] ezetimibe led to a paradoxical increase in the degree of atherosclerosis in association with greater reduction in LDL cholesterol, an effect we hypothesize may stem from unintended biologic effects of this agent,” they concluded.

But that’s not all.

Even though LDL levels were lower in the statin plus Zetia (ezetimibe) than the statin plus niacin group, during a 14 month period there were:

• 3 times as many heart attacks in the Zetia (ezetimibe) group (3 vs 1)
• 5 times as many cardiovascular deaths in the Zetia (ezetimibe) group (5 vs 1), and
• 7 times as many total deaths in the Zetia (ezetimibe) group (7 vs 1), and
• more than 3 times as many heart bypasses performed in the Zetia (ezetimibe) group (3 vs 0)

Do not be fooled by whether or not a drug lowers some number on a piece of paper, that is, some marker, such as LDL cholesterol, blood pressure or blood sugar.

The drug companies have convinced doctors and patients alike that if a drug lowers cholesterol… or blood pressure or blood sugar, that is must be good for you.

This is not true!

Studies going back to the early 1970’s found that while oral diabetes drugs lower blood sugar, they caused more problems than they solved.

A 2004 study of blood pressure drugs in older women found that while these drugs lowered blood pressure by 10-15 points lower than women taking no blood pressure drugs, women taking the drugs were MORE likely to die of cardiovascular disease in seven out of the eight ( 7 of 8 ) drug groups than the “no drug” group!

Yes, really.

In fact, women who had been given a diuretic plus a calcium channel blocker were 2.4 times MORE likely to die of cardiovascular disease than women taking no blood pressure medicines at all, even though the systolic pressure of the women taking this drug combination was 11 points lower (138 mm Hg in the drug group vs 149 mm Hg in the “no drug” group)!

This is another example showing that the number on a piece of paper is irrelevant!

It does not matter whether or not a drug lowers LDL cholesterol or blood pressure or blood sugar or any other marker.

The only thing that matters is whether or not it lowers your total risk of death.

Please do not fall for this advertising nonsense!

Dr. Rodney A. Hayward says we should IGNORE LDL cholesterol ignore

Researchers quoted in the January 17th, 2008 cover story in BusinessWeek titled “Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good”, said that they research suggests that we should IGNORE LDL cholesterol altogether.

”[C]urrent evidence supports ignoring LDL cholesterol altogether,” University of Michigan’s [Dr. Rodney A. Hayward, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School] was quoted as saying in this BusinessWeek article.