These reasons warrant a review of the efficacy of dietary and nonpharmacologic measures to lower cholesterol compared with pharmacologic therapy. In my practice, patients, even those with very high lipids and known heart disease, ask if they could try to lower their cholesterol with diet alone. For example, Benecol is unlikely to add anything to an Ornish diet. Experts believe that many more adults will be given statins as a result of these relatively new guidelines. Articles from Proceedings Baylor University. Summer health Sunscreen and sun safety How to get vitamin D from sunlight Heatwave: how to cope in hot weather. Both doctors highly recommend a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise, even if you do take statins. Crystalline niacin is quickly absorbed and rapidly metabolized, so it’s usually taken two or three times a day, ideally at the end of a meal but not with hot foods or beverages.
The vast majority of these patients will require pharmacologic therapy to achieve these goals. Diet and exercise just hadn’t been enough. And while ofr generally reduce blood cholesterol, regardless of diet, Carson says that fact can present a perception problem, noting that attitudes sometimes shift in patients taking statins. Cholesterol Control: 4 Natural Statins.
Statin drugs reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol, the type that puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease. But even if your cholesterol is not particularly high, it could still be smart to consider starting a statin. Drugs have risks, and doctors are wary of giving them to healthy people to prevent future illness unless the benefits are clearly established. Besides, critics say, we already have a safe and effective way to prevent cardiovascular disease: a healthy diet and regular exercise. They also think the evidence for preventive statin use isn’t entirely established yet. Cardiologist Dr.
Drug therapy with statins and other agents can result in dramatic lipidlowering effects. Despite the wealth of data supporting the beneficial effects of pharmacologic therapy on cardiovascular risk, patients often express a desire to accomplish similar goals with diet alone. And, except for patients with extreme cholesterol elevations, consensus panels all promote dietary therapy as an initial step in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. This review examines a variety of dietary strategies designed to lower lipid levels, including the American Heart Association diet, the Ornish diet, the Mediterranean diet, exercise, phytosterols, fiber, soy products, and fish oil. Significant benefits can be reaped from nonpharmacologic measures. Despite all of the positive research and trial data about statins and other pharmacologic interventions for treating elevated cholesterol, patients do not take these drugs. In my practice, patients, even those with very high lipids and known heart disease, ask if they could try to lower their cholesterol with diet alone. Or, if they have already started a statin, they want to stop it because of side effects or cost.