• Cholesterol is part of every cell in the body
• It is necessary for cellular function and is primarily made in the liver
• It is the building block for a class of hormones like Estrogen and Testosterone
• There is a Bad cholesterol which leads to accumulation of clogged arteries
• There is a Good cholesterol which acts like a sand blasting to clear the arteries.
• Most of all, there is no simple answer and no perfect solution for everyone

That being said we discovered the relationship between cholesterol and heart disease back in the 1980’s. At that time the only way to lower cholesterol was essentially go on a brown rice and cardboard diet. But even the strictest diet made little difference in the overall cholesterol and doctors worked hard to push exercise and reasonable changes in diet and had to leave it at that. Not the best solution but it was all we had.

Then the Statins were invented. Medications that actually worked in the liver and blocked the enzymes themselves to lower the manufacturer of cholesterol. Then they did one better by being able to actually distinguish the Bad from the Good cholesterol and selectively lower the bad and raise the good. We were elated. Heart disease was just a pill away from being eliminated from society. But, just like the super model who soon looses their fabulous looks when the makeup and the prosthetics come off the Statins soon lost their glamor. Muscle pain, Liver issues were only some of the issues, but most of all, in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t make much of a difference.

Now hold on for one minute, there is not a perfect world, so instead of being the grand cure it was supposed to be it became a part of the overall treatment of heart disease. For those people with very high Bad cholesterol and very low Good cholesterol there was a use. But we had to once again rethink our way of looking at the patient and what was best for them. Which is the basis of good medicine; Treat the patient, not the numbers.
All this being said, it is important to check your cholesterol. It is still a modifiable factor for good health and longevity. But if has to be taken in context with the whole patient with good understanding and a competent physician who understands which things to fix and what to leave where it is. Perry Medical has been in the medical field to see the changes in outlook for Cholesterol control as well as many other things that have changed through time. As your Primary Physician I consider all these factors and not just leave you eating brown rice and cardboard.