Collectively the revenues generated by statin cholesterol lowering drugs, like Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, and Pravachol are in excess of 10 billion dollars a year!

Is taking these drugs a risk unto itself? The answer is a resounding….YES!

Though these drugs are shown to reduce certain cardiovascular risks in people who have cardiovascular risk factors such as; hypertension, low HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, physicians are now recommending these drugs to people who don’t have any of these risks despite the fact that few if any studies show that there are any long-term benefits in people who have no cardiovascular risk factors.

The way statin drugs work is by blocking an enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) that interferes with the synthesis of cholesterol. The fact that cholesterol is an essential building block of cellular membranes and that the average person who lives to be 100 years old or more, usually has much higher than recommended levels of total cholesterol, raises some very interesting questions and will be addressed in a subsequent article.

So where does the risk come in? Well, in blocking the action of HMG-CoA reductase, the statin drugs also block the synthesis of a compound necessary for production of energy in the muscles (including the heart muscles) and for other crucial bodily functions!

The compound, Co-Enzyme Q10 is an essential nutrient that is involved in energy production that occurs in the mitochondria. (The energy producing factories in our cells). The heart requires high levels of Co-Q10.

Side effects of CoQ-10 deficiency

Statin drugs often cause muscle pain and weakness. This is a condition known as rhabdomyolysis. Often because many people taking statin drugs are older, they think the pain is due to something else like arthritis, or soreness from exercise and very often goes unreported.

Rhabdomyolysis, if severe, can result in death related to acute kidney failure. The statin drug, Baycol, caused dozens of deaths due to rhabdomyolysis and was taken off the market.

Though not present on the labels of statin drugs when they were first released, all statin drug labels now carry the following warning - “Unexplained muscle pain and weakness could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect and should be reported to your doctor right away.”

Not So Rare

Dr. Beatrice Golomb of San Diego, California, reported in her study findings, that contrary to the 2-3 % that the pharmaceutical industry reports for occurrence of muscle pain, that as many as 98% on some statin drugs experience this problem.

Memory Loss

Some patients taking statin drugs report memory loss and inability to concentrate. Accumulated data indicates that 50% of these cognitive issues occur within 5-60 days of starting statin treatment. Though most patients seem to recover after stopping the drug, it seems a small percentage may not. The actual percentage of statin users who experience these cognitive issues is not well established.

Nerve Pain and Dysfunction

It is estimated that 10-20% of people taking statin drugs will get neuropathy, resulting in feelings of fatigue, pain while walking and nerve tingling. A study from Denmark reported that long-term use of statin drugs (2 years or more) could increase the risk of developing neuropathy from 400-1400%. Individuals who are highly susceptible could experience neuropathy much sooner.

I urge my readers who are taking statin drugs to lower their cholesterol to supplement a minimum of 100 mg. per day of Co-Q. For those of you who are in major discomfort or have other heart issues regarding function or blood pressure, 300 mg. per day of Co-Q-10 is recommended.

When you reach your teenage years, you experience hormonal changes that cause you to grow pimples on your face, neck and many other parts of your body. These pimples can really be frustrating because they make you look red and bumpy.

Obviously, you want to rid yourself of these pimples through the fastest possible way. However, it is important that you ensure that pimple treatments are not going to cause you more harm than good.

You should look for remedies for your pimples that are safe as well as effective. Choose treatments which do not contain concentrated chemicals as if your skin is at all sensitive then it will dry out and you will look and feel even worse.

Home pimple remedies are an ideal way to address the problem. As they are created using natural ingredients the skin finds it easy to absorb them and there is no chance of any adverse reactions.

On the Internet, you will come across hundreds of ways that serve as remedies for pimples. These are composed of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and flowers which work in unison to fight off the disgusting zits on your face.

Fruits such as lemons and tomatoes are very helpful for treating pimples. All that you have to do is cut each of these fruits into fours. Rub a slice of lemon or tomato onto your skin, concentrating on areas that are full of pimples.

You must do this procedure before you go to sleep. Let the fruit extract sit on your face until the following morning. You will find that in the morning, your pimples have become smaller and have dried up. Repeat the process until you successfully dry up all your acne.

Apples are also a great natural remedy for pimples. Make a facial mask of apple and honey to relieve the appearance of pimples. Apply the mask and wait for twenty minutes before you rinse it off with cold water. After that, you will feel like your skin has been rejuvenated.

One of the most powerful but neglected remedies for pimples is water. You must know that water helps in so many ways you do not recognize; one of them is preventing pimples from popping out.

By drinking plenty of water, you will keep your skin clean and hydrated. The dirt and bacteria in your skin pores will literally be flushed out.

Cleansing with water needs to be done in and out of your body. Wash your face with water 3 or 4 times a day; you may need to use a facial scrub that will help get rid of dirt and makeup.

Then, pay close attention the types of food that you are eating and aim to increase your intake of vitamins and minerals. Consume more foods with Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Zinc as these are great for getting rid of pimples.

All of the above will take a little time and experimentation, so you must be patient. Not every natural home remedy for pimples works for every pimple sufferer, but there will be several that work for you.

Suffering from hemorrhoids, it is estimated, will likely affect 50% of all adults at some time in their lives. As a result, I can definitively state that you are not alone in your struggles with hemorrhoids. Although the number of sufferers is staggering, most people are still embarrassed or ashamed to bring the issue to their general practitioner. This is just not a topic that individuals are comfortable discussing openly, even with their doctors.

Because of this, most hemorrhoid sufferers continue to buy over the counter medicines, treatments, and lotions that simply mask the actual problem and allows you to deal with the symptoms you have that include burning, itching, bleeding and in some cases, intense pain when walking or sitting. The over the counter market is extremely lucrative, as you could imagine with nearly half of the adult population in this country being affected by hemorrhoids. But some hemorrhoid remedies can actually be damaging to you and your skin if used incorrectly.

Hydrocortisone is probably the most common ingredient in over the counter medicines for hemorrhoid treatment. It is found in numerous products primarily to alleviate itchiness, dry skin, help heal small wounds, improve skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and, certainly, in the treatment of hemorrhoids. Simply, hydrocortisone reduces minor inflammation, pain and swelling in the soft tissue of the body. It actually mimics the inflammation reducing hormone produced naturally by your body and is very effective in this role. Because of that, hydrocortisone is considered an effective treatment for the swelling, burning and itchiness caused by inflamed hemorrhoids.

On the surface, hydrocortisone looks like it must be an effective remedy for hemorrhoid symptoms and, by in large, it can be if not used in excess. However, a side affect of hydrocortisone that is not widely known is that excessive use leads to thinning of the skin. This does not generally create an issue when administered to areas like the arms or legs, where skin is thicker and not overly sensitive. But, in a place of significant sensitivity and thin tissue, such as the anus, the excessive use of hydrocortisone is often damaging. This is especially true in cases of constipation where hard stools get forced alongside thin tissue. The thinned tissue is then more prone to tearing, bleeding and rupture which may lead to fissures and other more serious problems in addition to the hemorrhoids. Thinned tissue does not heal rapidly. Skin which does not heal properly or rapidly is at risk of infection, which in extreme cases can lead to septicemia.

Should you be using ointments that have hydrocortisone, use them sparingly and infrequently. Check with your physician if the problem does not improve and, consider using natural methods of treatment that truly cures hemorrhoids rather than masking the symptoms with over the counter medication. Now, it is possible to cure hemorrhoids with modern medicine and always consult your doctor before trying a new regimen. But permanent relief is rarely found in the drug store and you may find an inexpensive, permanent cure is just a few clicks of the mouse from the comfort of your own computer.

Stop living with the pain of hemorrhoids. Most over the counter medications simply mask the problem. Do your homework. You can discover proven hemorrhoid cures online. Begin your path to finding a permanent cure today.