Crestor FAIL: JUPITER Busted

It is hard to enumerate all the problems with statins but the main one is that they fail to reduce coronary events and may actually be associated with higher mortality, cancer, congestive heart failure, lower serum testosterone, suicide, depression, brain damage, memory loss, pain syndromes, peripheral neuropathy, liver failure/jaundice and accidents.

We've talked about Crestor before: statins may make you dumb.

The problem is that Crestor is more potent therefore the side effects are more obvious now in clinical trials than they were before:
--'nonstatistically' increased %MI and revascularizations (see Nissen et al JAMA 2007, below)
--increased serum insulin
--increased serum glucoses
--increased incidence of new onset diabetes Type 2
--increased kidney failure and proteinuria
--increased percent of small dense atherogenic LDL particles (pattern B)


In a prior post, Nissen's JAMA 2007 article was discussed and a modified Table 6 showing event rates based on LDL (below average or above average, 87.5 mg/dl) presented. How statistical significance was not achieved is unbelievable to me but the results clearly make you wonder. With higher LDL (Greater than average LDL, last row), there was less myocardial infarctions (% MI) and less revascularization surgeries. Conversely, with the lowest LDL below average 87.5 mg/dl, the highest rates of myocardial infarctions (%MI) and revascularizations occurred.



Nicholls SJ, Tuzcu EM, Sipahi I, Grasso AW, Schoenhagen P, Hu T, Wolski K, Crowe T, Desai MY, Hazen SL, Kapadia SR, Nissen SE. (Full PDF here) Statins, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and regression of coronary atherosclerosis. JAMA. 2007 Feb 7;297(5):499-508. PMID: 17284700




Prior posts:
Atheroma Regression 101: Focus on HDL
Ancient Transporters LDL and HDL (The higher LDL the better)



Archives of Internal of Medicine recently published two articles on statin fails. The latest study re-examines the statistics in JUPITER, one of the seminal Crestor (rosuvastatin) trials that apparently showed regression on imaging however apparently has highly questionable outcomes in real life. PDF HERE. Crestor significantly raises basal insulin secretion. Insulin is a growth promoter -- need some (for muscles and fat storage) but not a lot. Insulin grows plaque, stiff arteries, obesity, waist-hip-ratios, skin tags, acanthosis nigricans, warts,inflammation, migraines, mood disorders, and benign and malignant tumours.

Prior post: Insulin -- Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, and CKD


Cholesterol Lowering, Cardiovascular Diseases, and the Rosuvastatin-JUPITER Controversy: A Critical Reappraisal
Michel de Lorgeril, MD et al. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(12):1032-1036.

Background Among the recently reported cholesterol-lowering drug trials, the JUPITER (Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention) trial is unique: it reports a substantial decrease in the risk of cardiovascular diseases among patients without coronary heart disease and with normal or low cholesterol levels.

Methods Careful review of both results and methods used in the trial and comparison with expected data.

Results The trial was flawed. It was discontinued (according to prespecified rules) after fewer than 2 years of follow-up, with no differences between the 2 groups on the most objective criteria. Clinical data showed a major discrepancy between significant reduction of nonfatal stroke and myocardial infarction but no effect on mortality from stroke and myocardial infarction. Cardiovascular mortality was surprisingly low compared with total mortality—between 5% and 18%—whereas the expected rate would have been close to 40%. Finally, there was a very low case-fatality rate of myocardial infarction, far from the expected number of close to 50%. The possibility that bias entered the trial is particularly concerning because of the strong commercial interest in the study.

Conclusion The results of the trial do not support the use of statin treatment for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and raise troubling questions concerning the role of commercial sponsors.

Donald Miller MD: Sex and Death

I am glad that I am not the only one who frequently reflects on sex, origins of death and the divine. Dr. Donald Miller is the author of 'Heart in Hand' and is a cardiac surgeon and academian at the University of Washington in Seattle with a wealth of rich insights. He's also evo/paleo, low carb high sat fat. He published articles and posts them here at his website: donaldmiller.com

Thank you O Primitivo for posting on him!






Quote is from Miller's essay The Two Pole's of Life's Magnet: Sex and Death


Fairy Stories and health myths that he debunks:
o [Grant Whores] The Government Grant System: Inhibitor of Truth and Innovation
o Fluoride Follies
o Mercury on the Mind
o Moon Goddess' Role in Health (selenium's role)
o Extrathyroidal Benefits of Iodine
o Health Benefits of a Low-Carbohydrate, High-Saturated Fat Diet
o Adaptive Innovations in Health: Vitamin D, Iodine, Selenium (slides on nuclear receptors, nutrigenomics, evolutionary perspective and dosing of Vitamin D, Iodine and Selenium supplementation)




Supplementation

His list of Top 10 critical supplements for optimal health and why they are cheaper than healthcare HERE. And YES he is for nuclear power as I am... screw Gore.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Art is the last defense against death..."



Teresa Teng
Fave song to hear when we're playing M.J. (mah jongggg!)
(courtesy youtube.com)

Okinawans: Hormones and Pork (again)

'The Jungle Effect'

I'm reading 'The Jungle Effect' by Dr. Daphne Miller MD, professor at UCSF. It is better than the Blue Zone. She has some candid interviews and observations that remind me of Weston A. Price and Francis Pottenger's nutritional insights. Dr. Miller went around the world, lived amond native groups who practice ancestral food and lifestyle cultures.

Her perspective is neat because it encompassed both the medical and nutritional points of discussions -- vitamin A and D and omega-3's are frequently referenced. She keenly noted how Okinawans lived in their 80s and 90s wihtout being incapacitated or wheelchair bound. When women transitioned to menopause they reported 'easy menopause transitions free from hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood swings. In addition, the fatigue, poor memory, depression los of sexual drive, and impotence that we consider to be a normal part of agiing were rarely experienced by even the eldest of Okinawans.'


Sex

She also reports that 'In fact, the research team interviewed a number of men and women who were still experiencing healthy, active sex lives in their eighties and beyond.' Why? Could it be the pork? The pigs raised on green pastures and imo -- the purple sweet potatoe that is loaded with antioxidants?


Okinawans: High Levels of Hormones

Dr. Miller is keen and a girl after my own hormonal heart...
'After doing lengthy laboratory analyses on the Okinawan elderly, the Centenarian Study research team was ablt to identify more specifically how these foods may be helping to preserve their vitality. the foods seemed to augment natural homrone levels since Okinawans had higher levels of thyroid hormone, cortisol, and sex hormone -- including TESTOSTERONE, DHT, ESTRADIOL, and DEHYDROXYEPIANDOSTERONE -- than a comparison group of elderly from the United States. Interestingly, if you look across the lifespan, Okinanawans and North Americans seem to have different hormonal patterns. While the average North American starts out in adolescence with higher levels (a fact that many researchers atribute to the synthetic hormones commonly found in U.S. meat and dairy products), the hormone levels seem to fizzle out by the time most Americans reach their mid-fifties. Okinawans, however, tend to start low, increase slowly, and maintain their hormone levels longer than elderly in the United States."


Better Adrenal Organs

..'In fact the researchers did an autopsy on one very elderly woman and were surprised to see that her adrenal glands (the organs where many of these hormones are produced) were the same weight as those of a much younger woman.'


Pork Does a Body Good

Miller references one of the coauthors of the Okinawa diet book, Craig Willcox, as believing that 'pork, as it is eaten traditionally on the island, is actually an important player in the longevity diet.' Errr... that somehow did not make it into the text. Yes. I checked. Fervently and was strongly disappointed with the book and its pork-deficiencies.

'He explained that the long-lived participants in the Okinawan centenarian AStudy had high blood levels of proline and glycine, which came, at least partly , from the collagen and elastin in pork. These proteins help the body to build and regenerate normal tissue' she reports.


Pork = Excellent Source of Selenium for Glutathione

'Pork happens to be an excellent source of selenium, an essential mineral that concentraes in the breast and prostate and acts as a building block for a powerful cancer-fighting enzyme called glutathione peroxidase.' She lists sources of selenium: spinach (cooked 1 c) 2.7 ug; whole-grain bread slice (11.2 ug); sunlfower seeds (1/4 c) 25.4 ug; anchovies (3 oz) 31 ug; pork loin 4 oz (37 ug); halibut 3 oz (39.8 ug); Brazil nut (1 nut) 100 ug. Bison is a great source especially raised on sunflower screenings and/or pasture contains 26-31 ug selenium per 100 grams (~ 3 oz). [Thank you gentlereader Sweeney for the reference HERE] Selenium is vital not only for our #1 antioxidant and de-toxifier glutathione, but also for components of enzymes responsible for conversion of thyroid, adrenal hormones and neurotransmitters in our nervous and immune systems.


Pig: What You Eat is What You Are

Is Okinawan pork different? Possibly. Miller states 'In Okinawa, most pork is raised on purple and orange imo [special species of sweet potato, which apparently has a slimly consistency]. Certainly a pig eating such nutrient-rich food cannot help but be nutrient-rich itself.' Lard? Bone broths? Okinawans are subsistence farmers. Miller discusses how the fat was discarded and only lean meats consumed... misinformation? She fails to mention cooking with lard. Again, with my self experimentation, 1-2 Tbs of saturated fat raised my HDL chol from 89 to 105 mg/dl in ~6wks (18%). Perhaps higher, bionic HDLs help traditional Okinawans achieve centenarian status?



Prior posts:

Brain and Cholesterol
When is Cholesterol Too Low? -- coconut oil raises HDL
Brain and Adrenal Health
Okinawan resouces -- pork-rich, island shoreside diet

What's UR Fave Barefoot Shoe And Do Your Feet Stink?

Looking For A Barefoot Shoe...

I don't really wanna hear about Vibrams... I know I know... everyone RAVES about them. The problem is my feet sweat and I need something non-synthetic that breathes somewhat.


G-Spot

The 'Gear' spot has a brief discussion on non-Vibram varieties like Puma H-streets, Puma Saloh's, FeelMax (from Finland -- favorite of Barefoot Ted and Mark Sisson), Nike Free's, Vivo's and aqua socks. They all sound stinky except the manly looking FeelMax and the Puma's.


Pose Technique

Pose fans appear to like the Puma H (which are discontinued), Saloh's and K-street's the most. My hubby tried the Saloh but without appropriate adaptation I think it aggravated his old plantar fasciitis when we were walking miles and taking the subway in Shanghai and Beijing (btw is fine now).


Stink-Resistance???

Wool socks work nice for me on asphalt but haven't tried it too often... (They are excellent stand-ins when I forget my shoes for the gym or Xfit.) Soles that are bullet-proof or puncture-resistant aren't absolutely necessary for me but stink-resistance would be nice. Getting a grip is good too.

Thoughts? Thoughts for an over-protonator w/flat arches?



[Currently veering toward the Puma K-street IIs and maybe Terra Plana...]

Thanks!!

Beach Body: BURN BODY FAT and be 'Forever Young'

Hudson and Jay-Z remake of 'Forever Young' anthem of the 80's
Courtesy Youtube.com

Beach Bodies

Personally... I like beach bodies.

Bikinis... body boarding... surf sun s*x [and...corona + shots] nothing beats Cali...

Glistening abs, tricps biceps, sun toned warm tanned oily skin. Shimmering pheromones.

Summers below the 37th latitude are heightened by muscles, movement and HORMESIS.



Metabolic Networks

What dominates our metabolism? An intricate network of evolutionary metabolic networks that is heavily conserved from the lowliest nematode to the most highly evolved cognitively-appealing, apex predators...

Including YOU.

Thanks LePine for inspiration and links.




'Exercise intensity and Burning Fat: Youve Gotta Move It To Lose It'

This worked for me and it will work for you if you are trying to lose body fat.

It has worked also for the same 5 lbs of body fat I've lost a dozen times in the last 2 yrs secondary to frustrating synthetic (levonorgestrel, a contraceptive endocrine disruptor) and subsequent hormone dysreguation.

Prior animal pharm: 50 # Wt Loss

Thomas Fahey EdD from Fitness Rx For Men is one of my favorite health and fitness gurus and writers. With 'Rx' in the title can one go wrong? ...speaking from a legal drug dealer point of view?

A recent article from Nov 2009 issue featuring both Dara Torres 'Woman Athlete of the Year' and SUPERBOY Oly decathlete (hybrid Asian and African American) Bryan Clay has the article entitled 'EXERCISE INTENSITY AND BURNING FAT: YOU'VE GOTTA MOVE IT TO LOSE IT'.

Love the title. Love the contents. Prof Fahey is an alright guy.




Key: 45 to 90 min 4X per Week Chronic Cardio 60-85% MAX HEARTRATE

Fahey writes, 'Elegant studies by Dr. George Brooks at the University of California, Berkeley showed that the body uses mainly fats for fuel at rest and low exercise intensities. At 65 percent of maximum effort, the body switches abruptly to carbohydrates and uses much LESS FAT [my emphasis]. The rate of fat breakdown in fat cells aslo decreases with increasing exercise intensity. The best method for losing weight through exercise looks like a no-brainer. Train at low exercise intensity because you'll use fat as FUEL....' Our mitochondria and muscles like the heart are adapted and naturally selected to run on FATTY ACIDS as the optimal fuel for endurance and day-to-day activities.



Caveat: ALSO Key -- Exercise INTENSELY in addition to Cardio

Fahey also adds the essential KEY of ripping and shredding body fat is 'The real answer to the question of how to lose fat through exercise is not so obvious. True, you use more fat as fuel when you exercise moderately. But [***hint***] you lose more body fat when you exercise more intensely during a 24-hour period because you use more fat for feul and INCREASE METABOLISM (increase calorie use) more after exercise. Also, you burn more calories during the exercise itself. The total daily energy use is more important for fat loss than the kinds of fuels used during exercise... As stated, intense exercise increases fat use after the exercise is OVER. You use th readily-available carbs during intense exercise, then SWITCH to fats during RECOVERY. The body uses more fats as fuel after an INTENSE workout than after an easy one. Intense exercise increases post-exercise mtabolisms more than light exercise. Run for an hour at 70-80% maximum effort and you get an extra post-exercise calorie-burning bonus...'

6 Pointers: 'Losing Body Fat with High-Intensity Exercise'

• 'Do 60-90 minutes of cardio at 60-85% percent of maximum effort, three to five days per week... doesn't sound like a lot, but you will lose fat and not muscle...
• Include interval training in your workout... Interval training includes intense running (sprinting) interrupted by periods of rest orlight exercise... exercise intensely for ONE MINUTE at near-maximum intensity, then repat six to 20 times (depending on your fitness level).... You will notice rapid increases in fitness and fat loss with this kind of training. [TRUE. Sprints in the pool, bike or asphalt for triathlon training has give me the best and most rapid gains and personal fat loss and maintenance]
• Train with weights at least TWO DAYS PER WEEK. Weight training increases muscle mass [and testosterone + fountain-of-youth-growth-hormone-BURSTS] that will give you a higher metabolic rate. More muscle mass means you burn more calories during the day. Also, you'll look lean and fit if you have more muscle. TRAIN HARD!

Stretch after you workout, when the muscles are warm. Maintaining flexibility will help you prevent injury and maintain normal range of motion in the joints. Stretch after exercise during the cool-down period ather than before. [For me, yoga 20-60min after a workout is better than a MASSAGE seriously and the endorphin-releases are nice.]

Eat a well-balanced diet. [fats proteins carbs -- don't forget or skimp]

Back off if you get injured. Intense training greatly increases the risk of overuse injuries. People who train intensely ride a thin edge between peak performance and injury because they push hard all the time. Back off on the program when your knees, Achilles tendons, hips or back hurt. Take a few days off [or 1-2wks] and then begin again at a lower intensity.'

Sample Schedule (2 days rest, 2 days wts, 2 days short cardio+intervals, 1 day long cardio)
Mon -- Long Cardio (track or treadmill or cycling or elliptical, etc) 60-90 min @60-85% of max

Tue -- Weight training (1-3 sets of 10 resp for 8-10 exercises, emphasizing major muscle groups)

Wed -- Interval training (six 200-meter sprints at 90% of max effort resting 3 min betw sprints or 10 one-minute sprints on an elliptical with one minute rest betw intervals) + Short-Cardio (45 min @60-85% max)

Thur--REST REST REST

Fri -- Weight training (ditto)

Sat -- Interval training (ditto) + Short-Cardio (ditto 45 min)

Sun -- REST REST REST




UR...A Beautiful MONSTER

Do you fly ur freak flag high? I don't mind.

Join the freak nation.

Be PROUD for being part of the minority rather than the epidemic, growing obese majority.

Ne-Yo "Beautful Monster"
Courtesy Youtube.com

Additional References

1. FitnessRxformen.com; Vol 7; Number 6; pp 46-49.

2. The effects of intermittent liquid meal feeding on selected hormones and substrates during intense weight training.
Fahey TD, Hoffman K, Colvin W, Lauten G.
Int J Sport Nutr. 1993 Mar;3(1):67-75

3. The effects of sodium bicarbonate and pyridoxine-alpha-ketoglutarate on short-term maximal exercise capacity.
Linderman J, Kirk L, Musselman J, Dolinar B, Fahey TD.
J Sports Sci. 1992 Jun;10(3):243-53.

4. Serum testosterone, body composition, and strength of young adults.
Fahey TD, Rolph R, Moungmee P, Nagel J, Mortara S.
Med Sci Sports. 1976 Spring;8(1):31-4.

5. Brooks GA, Fahey T, and Baldwin K. Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and its Applications. New York: McGraw Hill, 2004 (4th edition).