LukeMV
#21
I don’t think so. Having used all those supplements in the past, and a statin now, I can easily confirm the results of that study anecdotally.
3 Likes
AnUser
#22
It’s beneficial to the pharmaceutical industry, but if it’s true, why not?
2 Likes
FWIW, there’s been a discussion of over the counter statins for well over twenty years, here’s something from 2005:
They’ve been talking about this for decades now. Supplements are poorly regulated (in the U.S.), meanwhile the medical establishment maintains a death grip over very beneficial medications with an ecxellent safety and efficacy track record.
I wonder how many people resort to dodgy or ineffective supplements, just because it’s such a hassle to get a doctor to prescribe. I myself have had every ask denied by my PCP (who btw. is a nice guy, just terrified of stepping outside of the insurance rulebook), including my wanting to switch from the failing 10mg/day atorvastatin to a 4/mg pitavastatin. I do my own extensive research, while he prescribes atorvastatin, because that’s what the rulebook says, and that’s the drug he’s used to, and he doesn’t have the time to read up on the latest papers and subtleties of this statin vs that statin.
Drugs are OTC or prescription only supposedly to protect the lay masses, but in practice what happens is that people are at the mercy of either dodgy supplement companies or cya prescribers. Those who want to take charge - and the responsibility good or bad - for their own health are at a disadvantage here. And that’s how we get fun and games with overseas pharmacies, money transfers and the vagaries of U.S. Customs.
The FDA should exist to check drugs (and supplements!) for safety and efficacy first and foremost, and even in that it’s had a mixed record.
2 Likes
In my personal N=1, cholesterol lowering supplements did not move the needle. The only things that work are statins, Bempedoic Acid and Ezetemibe plus Omega-3 for Triglycerides. Nothing else registered on my blood work.
But now my ApoB and LDL are at 48 and I’m happy with that! Triglycerides are in the 60s and that’s good as well.
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Bicep
#25
I take a lot of garlic, no wonder my LDL is so high. Fish oil might cancel it out though.
Interesting how individual it is. Really none of this stuff works on everybody. They’re all split.
1 Like
mccoy
#26
We should try and observe independently but actually, the anecdotes seem to go against supplements, at least some of 'em that I know. A couple of people I know here tried red rice yeast and then switched to statins because of no results. My wife was prescribed the same red rice yeast by her GP but had to discontinue due to GI problems.
There seems to be a high demand of supplements because of their putative lack of side effects and possibility of self-administration and many people have an irrational fear of lipid-lowering drugs.
3 Likes
Did your wifes GP give her a rationale for starting with red rice yeast?
mccoy
#28
That was after rosuvastatin increased values of the epatic enzymes. Not very much but slightly above the upper bound of the normal range. Red rice yeast was not tolerated by the stomach, so the GP ended up prescribing ezetimibe 10 mg which worked although not so effectively as Crestor 5 mg and without any side effects observed so far.
2 Likes
Red Rice Yeast should have a statin in it (Monacolin K - lovastatin), but in the US the active ingredient is supposed to be taken out of the supplement.
I tried it myself. In the UK there is Monacolin K, but it seemed to cause memory issues so I stopped.
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KarlT
#30
Taking Red yeast rice makes no sense to me. Why take a supplement with an unknown amount of statin in it so you can avoid taking a medication with a pure known amount of statin?
6 Likes
It has a small advantage of being OTC.
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It just seems crazy to me that a GP would advise anyone to buy an unregulated supplement that contains a statin, over a pharmaceutical they can prescribe and that likely costs the patient less.
3 Likes
mccoy
#33
I can only hypothesize, maybe the GP is building a personal database of patients’ response to the red yeast…
Also, it is apparent that many people are irrationally scared by the idea of taking statins. A natural form of statin is more accepted. Presently in Italy the costs of Crestor (without a on-label prescription) and fermented red rice are about the same.
Of course, all statins are paid by the national health authority if the GP issues a proper prescription and the cost is nearly zero. Not all doctors though will do that for preventive therapy.
In my case, I have all lipids in the range and my GP just told me he must follow the guidelines, so no prescriptions. I had my Rosumibe prescribed by a friend who is a doctor.
1 Like
