Myth: High cholesterol is the major predictor of heart disease.
Fact: Chronic inflammation is the major predictor of heart disease.
LDL cholesterol is only a minor player in the cascade of inflammation which is a cause of heart disease.
Studies show that elevated levels of inflammatory markers are linked with a 2x increase in your risk of dying from a cardiovascular-related problem, like heart attack or stroke, and chronic, low-grade inflammation contributes to cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.
Myth: Inflammation always leads to heart disease.
Fact: Acute inflammation is a sign that our body is actually fighting disease. Chronic inflammation is much more dangerous.
Inflammation isn’t strictly good or bad. It can be either, depending on how long the inflammation lasts.
Small flare-ups of inflammation are good since it’s our immune system working to heal our bodies, but chronic inflammation can be a sign of something more concerning such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes or even cancer.
The good news is that chronic inflammation can very often be avoided or mitigated with lifestyle changes. For example, the number one dietary contributor to inflammation in the artery walls is sugar.
Excess blood sugar decreases the elasticity of blood vessels and causes them to narrow, impeding blood flow, leading to a heart attack or stroke. Decreasing your A1C can go a long way towards reducing inflammation and your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Myth: Statin drugs can’t hurt and can be useful for everyone.
Fact: Statins are not risk free and are now recommended for patients with high LDL who are also at HIGH RISK for cardiovascular disease.
A study in 1993 showed that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs nearly deplete a necessary enzyme, CoQ10, which is required for healthy heart function. Other studies show that statins increase blood sugar, accelerating the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes in people who already have higher than normal blood sugar.
However, there are plenty of studies proving statins can reduce inflammation and improve blood viscosity, making it flow more easily through your vessels, and less likely to stick on accumulations of cholesterol.
The latest ACC and AHA guidelines (updated in 2018) suggest that statins are only unequivocally recommended for patients with low HDL and high LDL, who have additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease like type 2 diabetes, obesity or a family history of CVD.
