policosanol

[redheadedmary]

anybody ever heard of policosanol to lower cholesterol? If so and you have used it before, did it help?
Thanks
Mary

[catspajamas]

I have taken policosanol 2 tabs a day for the past 2 years...I also take niacin..I believe it is this combination that is slowly lowering all my cholesteral numbers...(no side effects).....

[sos_group_owner]

Everyone that walks into a doctors office today has their cholesterol levels checked and told they have high cholesterol if it's over 200. If you are diabetic, it doesn't matter what your cholesterol levels are.

The problem with this practice IS... total cholesterol does not tell the whole story.

Some of the risk factors below (when elevated) cause 'oxidized LDL' (inflammation) and a greater chance for a heart attack or stroke:

* Homocysteine (should be 6.2 or less)
* Triglycerides (should be less than 150, and the lower the better)
* Blood Sugar Levels
- up to 99 (normal)
- 100 to 125 (pre-diabetic)
-126 and above (most likely diabetic)
* Cortisol ('stress' hormones)
* Smoking
* Deficiency is some vitamins, especially the B's and C.

When you get a chance, read an article titled, "Is Heart Disease All Due to Blood Clots?" by Dr Malcolm Kendrick
[http://www.thincs.org/Malcolm.htm#clots]

Excerpts:
Things that create "free radicals" and oxidized LDL... Smoking, high blood sugar levels (diabetes), stress... Risk factors that damage the "endothelium" include elevated levels of homocysteine, blood sugar, insulin, cortisol (stress hormones), triglycerides, smoking and deficiency in some vitamins, such as C and the B's.

LDL (Oxidised LDL)

" This is a complex pathway. When platelets start to stick together, they release free radicals. "Free radicals" oxidise LDL. Oxidised LDL is a powerful blood clotting factor. LDL is also incorporated into the blood clot as it forms, and provides a `lipid' surface (along with VLDL) for the construction of fibrin. Fibrin is the hugely strong protein strand that binds a clot together and makes it `tough.' "

~~~
So when you try to 'just lower your cholesterol', you are not correcting the underlying problem. One of the most common causes of elevated cholesterol is hypothyroidism. "As many as ten million Americans with high cholesterol levels may not know that their cholesterol is elevated due to undiagnosed thyroid problems."
[http://thyroid.about.com/cs/symptomsproblems/a/cholesterol.htm]

Also read Dr Graveline's article "Statin Alternatives":
http://www.spacedoc.net/statin_alternatives.htm

Buffered Aspirin - 81 mg (contains beneficial magnesium)
CoQ10 - 100 to 150 mg (gelcaps - NOT powdered) with some Vit E
* Folic Acid - 400-800 mcg
* B6 - 80-100mg
* B12 - 200-250mcg
* (all 3 of these B Vitamins control Homocysteine)
Omega 3 (Fish Oil or Cod Liver Oil) - There is no upper limit

Dr Graveline's Statin Alternatives reduce and prevent inflammation, are anti-oxidants, reduce platelet stickiness, control (toxic) homocysteine and have the same anti-inflammatory affect as 20 mg's of Lipitor, without side effects.

Fran

[sos_group_owner]

I forgot to mention that: One of policosanol's important actions is to inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a substance that can cause a chronic inflammatory response within blood vessels that in turn can lead to destruction of blood vessels.

I've read several accounts of those using policosanol that it did NOT lower their cholesterol, but again, the LDL level is not the issue... it's how 'oxidized' is the LDL?

Fran

[redheadedmary]

Thanks for your response Fran!
I am reading about all sorts of things and read about the policosanol and was wondering if it was safe.

[catspajamas]

Considering the fact that I also had vasculitis that seems to be improving since on the policosanol the previous statements are probably true in my case...A old GP told me to cut sugar out of my diet(even though I am not diabetic) would help the triglyceride levels and the vasculits...so as long as policosanol isn't giving me any side effects I will continue with it....I do believe our body reacts to outside forces , stress, illness etc by elevating cho. levels...I also read where cholesteral is needed by the brain..could it be that some people who have been on statins a long time and are diagnosed with altzheimers the culprit could be the statins? I know I couldn't concentrate when on zocor..it improved after I threw it in the trash.....You hear of more and more people having problems.....I think somewhere down the road statins will be withdrawn from the market like vioxx was....will be interesting, won't it?

[sos_group_owner]

Hi "cats pajamas",

Re: I also read where cholesteral is needed by the brain..could it be that some people who have been on statins a long time and are diagnosed with alzheimers the culprit could be the statins?

DEFINITELY... My husband was mis-diagnosed with Alzheimer's type dementia. The Neurologist wanted him to take Aricept AND resume Lipitor. We said NO to both. And, YES, we fired the Neuro!

Fran