HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol). When their delicate balance is out of whack, particularly if LDL levels get too high and oxidation occurs, heart disease can happen.
On the other hand, HDL helps your body produce hormones, vitamin D and bile. It also forms cell membranes, facilitates communication between cells and is crucial for the growth and maintenance of the brain (3). HLD cholesterol also helps clear LDL cholesterol from your arteries (4).
Cholesterol lowering drugs don’t just affect LDL cholesterol, it also prevents the liver from producing HDL cholesterol. This prevents HDL from conducting all the important tasks mentioned above.
Another reason why this drug causes so many different problems is because it blocks a cholesterol-creating enzyme that is needed to make coenzyme Q10. This biochemical sparkplug and antioxidant is found in every cell, especially the heart where it protects and nourishes mitochondria, tiny structures that produce energy.
Common side effects of the drug include (5,6):
- Liver damage
- Memory loss and confusion
- High blood sugar and diabetes
- Headache
- Difficulty sleeping
- Flushing of the skin
- Muscle aches, tenderness, or weakness (myalgia)
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal cramping or pain
- Bloating or gas
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Rash
- Muscle and kidney damage
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s
- Cancer (7)
- Increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (8)
The True Causes Of Cardiovascular Disease
Believe it or not, sugar actually causes heart disease. When the liver metabolizes sugar, it stores glycogen for a quick energy source to keep your body going.
When you eat too much sugar, the glucose is transformed into lipids which remain in your bloodstream as cholesterol and triglycerides. When overwhelmed with fructose, the liver begins to store fat, causing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.