Cholesterol / Lipids

Dietary carbohydrate restriction improves insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, microvascular function, and cellular adhesion markers in individuals taking statins

Kevin D. Ballarda, Erin E. Quanna, Brian R. Kupchaka, Brittanie M. Volka, Diana M. Kawieckia, Maria Luz Fernandez, Richard L. Seip, Carl M. Maresha, William J. Kraemera, Jeff S.Volek

Single arm perspective with 21 participants.  The results of this study suggest that a CRD could be a sustainable lifestyle that complements statin treatment to improve overall cardio-metabolic risk, particularly for individuals with other risk factors indicative of metabolic syndrome, but future research is needed to determine the effects over a longer period of time.

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Diets with high-fat cheese, high-fat meat, or carbohydrate on cardiovascular risk markers in overweight postmenopausal women: a randomized crossover trial.

Tanja K Thorning, Farinaz Raziani, Nathalie T Bendsen, Arne Astrup, Tine Tholstrup, Anne Raben

Randomized crossover with 14 participants.  Diets with cheese and meat as primary sources of SFAs cause higher HDL cholesterol and apo A-I and, therefore, appear to be less atherogenic than is a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.  Also, our findings confirm that cheese increases fecal fat excretion.

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Effects of Low-Carbohydrate vs Low-Fat Diets on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Alain J. Nordmann, MD, MSc; Abigail Nordmann, BS; Matthias Briel, MD; Ulrich Keller, MD; William S. Yancy Jr, MD, MSH; Bonnie J. Brehm, PhD; Heiner C. Bucher, MD, MPH

Five trials including a total of 447 individuals.  This meta-analysis demonstrates that low-carbohydrate, non–energy-restricted diets appear to be at least as effective as low-fat, energy-restricted diets in inducing weight loss for up to 1 year. However, potential favorable changes in triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values should be weighed against potential unfavorable changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol values when low-carbohydrate diets to induce weight loss are considered.

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Statin wars: have we been misled about the evidence? A narrative review

Dr Maryanne Demasi PhD

Statins are the most widely prescribed, cholesterol lowering drugs in the world.  Despite the expiration of their patents, revenue for statins is expected to rise, with total sales on track to reach an estimated US$1 trillion by 2020.  A bitter dispute has erupted among doctors over suggestions that statins should be prescribed to millions of healthy people at low risk of heart disease.  There are concerns that the benefits have been exaggerated and the risks have been underplayed.  Also, the raw data on the efficacy and safety of statins are being kept secret and have not been subjected to scrutiny by other scientists. This lack of transparency has led to an erosion of public confidence. Doctors and patients are being misled about the true benefits and harms of statins, and it is now a matter of urgency that the raw data from the clinical trials are released.

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