What You Must Know about Statin Drugs & Their Natural Alternatives: A Consumer's Guide to Safely Using Lipitor, Zocor, Mevacor, Crestor, Pravachol, or

This book is a must-read for those with high cholesterol. You really do have to be your own health advocate and not go only by what your doctor recommends. I agree with Dr. Cohen in that a lot of doctors are "in bed" with pharmaceutical companies and are given big perks to push their drugs at levels which aren't necessarily safe or effective. I have moderately-high hereditary cholesterol levels and have tried many statin drugs in the past - all with bad side-effects which exacerbated my fibromyalgia (muscle pain, weakness). After reading this book, I've quartered the statin pills my doctor gave me and have had no bad side effects. Saves money, too! Dr. Cohen's motto of "Start low and go slow" is good advice when it comes to statins.

The statin group of drugs began use in the US in the 1980s, the first one being lovastatin or, as it used to be known "Mevacor". Jay Cohen, the book's author is up to task covering almost every angle the statin era opened to patients with cholesterol problems. The "great statin experiment" is explained quite well, although some information is a little outdated (such as drug costs) and some studies were not mentioned. Overall this is a great book. The fact is that we still do NOT know all of the details of their use in humans. The author is very good in advising you about the "truths we hold self evident" about these wonder of wonders--the statins. There is no doubt the statins lower cholesterol, the problem is the other things they do, don't do, or inhibit. The point is, as humans, we MUST have cholesterol in our bodies to live. At the same time, we know too much cholesterol certainly cannot be good. Do statins, by lowering cholesterol, actually lower the number of heart attacks and the amount of arterial calcified plague in our bodies? Has the average American's age now (he states Lipitor is the #1 drug in America) --that most of us take statins--exceed that of citizens of every other country in the world? No. What about the lowering CoQ 10 and its affect on our hearts and the decreased amount of serotonin? Dr. Cohen does this for you in an acceptable format. His information is accurate and easily found and he tells you the way it is for the most part in only about 170 pages. Basically he rattles you with the details, explains the script, and advises you to make an informed decision considering all the factors presented. Another detail of the book is that Cohen is very good about explaining how doctors are influenced by the drug industry. Also, I liked the term "psychological denial", a term he uses to describe doctors who refuse to believe the drugs they prescribe could cause side effects to their patients. Highly recommended. But just to beg one question. If the statins are all that great, and we have taken them for now going on 20 years, why oh why is heart disease, and diabetes only getting worse. I believe u may be dealing with one of the greatest con jobs of all time. guyairey

This book is a no-nonsense presentation of the facts about cholesterol. Finally I have seen something that actually tells the truth instead of twisting everything into a self-serving set of misleading statements designed to sell a product. This book is a refreshing change. Dr. Cohen gives both sides of the research and carefully explains what the different studies actually mean. He makes no broad sweeping generalizations about statin drugs. Some people can benefit; others can use alternatives. He explains all the options and why. Very important. Very informative.

This book provides very useful information regarding the average cholesterol reductions based upon specific statin and dose being taken. It also provides interesting information regarding how beginning doses are arrived at and how the drug companies may be encouraging doctors to prescribe dosages that are actually in excess of a patient's needs. Provides both pros and cons and, if one assumes that the information is factual, provides an excellent base for the reader to develop own decisions. As to alternative treatments, the book does not add a lot of valuable information but that is not why I purchased it anyway. I was most interested in the pros and cons of using statin drugs. For such purpose, it is an excellent source for information.

I just got this book today, and I am amazed at how much I have learned already. Dr. Cohen provides crucial information about how your doctor may prescribe far too high a dose of statins, and how to recognize and deal with drug side effects. The book also provides easy-to-understand information about natural alternatives (or complements) to statins, including Co-Q10, Red Yeast Rice, Plant Sterols, Policosanol, Niacin and others. I think this book will help me reduce my statin use and be able to control my cholesterol through other natural alternatives. There are a lot of products out there claiming to lower your cholesterol, and Dr. Cohen provides objective information and study data regarding many of those products, independent of commercial propaganda. Update six months later - with the advice of this book, I was able to lower my cholesterol from 310 to 192 in two months, using a combination of very low-dose statins, Policosanol (from sugar cane), Co-Q10, Fish Oil and plant sterols, as well as regular exercise. My Ldl is considered "optimal" now, after being "extremely high" just weeks ago. My doctor wanted to give me 40mg of Zocor, and I achieved my ideal Ldl with only 10mg. So, needless to say, I think this book is worth reading if you are considering statin therapy or just trying to get your cholesterol down. Thanks, Dr. Cohen!