Statin Drugs and Children

By James LaValle, RPh, ND, CCN

On July 7, 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a shocking new recommendation that stated children, starting at 2 years of age and no older than 10, should routinely get their cholesterol checked -- and that some children as young as 8 should be started on statin drugs to lower their cholesterol and prevent future heart disease.

In my opinion, this AAP recommendation to prescribe statin drugs for children is off base for many reasons. We do have an obesity epidemic among children, and the problem of high cholesterol in children is increasing; however, the answer should not be to prescribe medications that have not been tested in children and could cause serious side effects.

Statins are a class of drugs that act by inhibiting an enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) that is needed for the formation of cholesterol in the liver. In the process, statins also inhibit other substances that have important functions. For example, statins interfere with the production of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a critical nutrient for cellular energy and muscle function.

The most common side effects of statins -- most likely from a deficiency of CoQ10 --are muscle aches and wasting, slurred speech, and heart failure. Heart failure, because the heart relies on a plentiful supply of CoQ10 for proper functioning. Low levels of CoQ10 have even been reported to increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

There are even more important reasons that cholesterol should not be artificially lowered in children.

It is essential for the developing brain and nervous system. That's why it is advised that young children drink whole milk rather than low-fat. Adults on statin drugs have reported memory loss and brain fog. What would be the consequences of these side effects on a child's ability to do well in school?

Sex hormones are made of cholesterol. Sex hormones are needed for the proper development of sex organs and the ability to conceive during the reproductive years. Cholesterol also is needed to make serotonin, the "feel good" hormone that helps us get a good night's sleep and protects against depression.

Among its many other functions, cholesterol helps us digest the fats in our diet. It is also a precursor to vitamin D, which is formed when sunlight interacts with the cholesterol in our skin. Vitamin D makes bones strong and provides protection against several forms of cancer.

Statin drugs have been shown in a couple of studies to raise cancer risk.^1-2 This may be due to its action of reducing the body's production of cholesterol. The cancer studies were done in adults, but do we really need to recreate this experiment with children?

While there is a tendency in medicine to downplay the side effects of drugs, I have seen numerous patients with statin-induced health problems over the last decade. I would expect that children would be no different -- and it could be worse because of the potential effects on their growth and development.

Recent studies are even questioning the efficacy of statins for their primary purpose (reducing calcification in coronary arteries) -- and it is still to be proven that statin drugs really extend life.^3-4

Let me be clear -- giving children statin drugs is a disaster waiting to happen and we can't have enough voices joining the protest against this recommendation. Fortunately, I have already seen a number of pediatricians questioning it.

We need to understand why more and more of our children are obese and at risk of future heart disease. In children as in adults, artery clogging high sugar diets and a lack of activity are the primary cause of heart disease insulin resistance. My experience has shown that in young people these factors are made worse by environmental pollutants, stress, and excessive prescription drug use.

But the good news is that the majority of kids can reduce weight and high cholesterol levels with exercise and a diet of whole, natural foods that are low in sugar and free of trans fatty acids. If children can learn these lifestyle habits at a young age, their risk of heart disease will be greatly reduced.

No statins needed!

References

1. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/578053.
2. Ravnskov U, The Cholesterol Myths, Washington, DC, New Trends, 2000; www.THINCS.org.
3. Ravnskov U, Quart J Med. 2003;96:927-934.
4. Jackson PR, et al. Br J Pharmacology 2001;52:439-446

[Ed. Note: James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN, is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country. He was named as one of the 50 most influential pharmacists in the US by American Druggist magazine. Dr. LaValle is the author of more than a dozen books including the bestseller, Cracking the Metabolic Code: 9 Keys to Optimal Health.]

Cutting Edge Fitness: The Wonders of Incorporating High Intensity Resistance Training By Carlo Alvarez

We've all heard the old adage, "The more you give, the more you get." Though at times we don't get rewarded for all of our hard work, there is at least one situation in which this saying holds 100% true -- high intensity resistance training (HIT), or for cardiovascular training, high intensity interval training (HIIT).

HIT is weight training that allows for no more than 8-12 reps, for anywhere from one to three maximal effort sets. HIIT is performing aerobic exercise at an interval at 90-100% of max heart rate for a designated period of time on a cardiovascular machine with a 3:1 rest to work ratio. HIIT should be performed at the end of resistance training sessions. It affects the anaerobic energy pathway but has implications for the burning of fat.

This new type of training exemplifies a concept that has been in existence since the dawn of physical exercise and training. It is the idea that "to achieve maximal gains, maximal effort must be given on every rep, of every set, of every exercise." The benefit of this type of training is that you can get tremendous results with relatively short workouts.

The only problem is that some people simply don't want to work that hard. But if you are one of the few that has a vision and passion to not let a lot of sweat get in your way -- then HIT and HIIT are the highways to achieving ideal health. (And the small rests in between exercise do make it more bearable.)

What are the benefits of giving it your all during your sessions? Better bone density and joint integrity, metabolic increases, improved muscle strength, muscle size increases, and better pulmonary/cardiovascular function.

Preserving bone minerals and joint stability is important for anyone, from athletes to elderly folks. HIT and HIIT force bone osteoblasts to form new bone and the body to adapt in the most dramatic ways producing the most positive results. According to Nelson et al., "High-intensity strength training exercises are an effective and feasible means to preserve bone density."¹

Exercise has always been important for achieving ideal health and body image. Through exercise you not only burn calories during the exercise, you improve basal metabolic rate through preservation and building of muscle. The higher your basal metabolic rate, the more your body goes to work on stored fat while you are sleeping, sitting on a couch, or relaxing by the pool.

What is exciting is the HIT training has been found to be one of the best, if not the best form of exercise for improving the rate at which you burn calories even when you are not exercising. That's because the exercise is so intense when you are performing it, the maintenance and retaining of muscle tissue requires a lot of work -- and the best part is, it all happens when you rest! Performing HIIT afterwards will further boost your basal metabolism.

With regular resistance training, it is not uncommon to hit plateaus in the actual building of muscle size and strength. With HIT, the "strength plateau" or a period when no gains are made, rarely occurs because of all the ways to increase intensity.

So, HIT is superior in this area as well. Whether it's through more weight, reps, range of motion, slower speed of movement, or rest between sets, your muscle gains will skyrocket.

While HIT and HIIT are intense forms of exercise, they have even been evaluated and found to be effective forms of exercise in cardiac and pulmonary patients. According to researchers in the American Journal of Cardiology, "Interval training provides an effective means to improve the cardiovascular fitness and health status of highly functional patients with coronary artery disease. We also revealed that interval training improves anaerobic tolerance to a greater extent than the traditional exercise training model without increasing the risk to the patient."²

While this evaluation states HIT and HIIT are beneficial and safe for highly functioning patients, programs can be tailored to individual fitness levels. It is imperative that anyone wishing to begin these types of programs consult a physician to determine whether or not they are healthy enough for exercise.

If cleared, recognizing your own intensity level and gradually improving is the way to go.

References

1. Nelson. M. et al. JAMA Vol. 272 No. 24, December 28, 1994; August 5, 2008. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/272/24/1909
2. Warburton. D. et al. Am J Cardiol, Volume 95,Issue 9,1080-1084; August 5, 2008. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0002914905001888

[Ed. note: Carlo X. Alvarez is a noted authority in the customized fitness and sports performance field. He is recognized for his integrated and systematic approach to training, based on a foundation of safe and proven methodology that has direct and measurable benefits to performance.]

Nutrients & Health: A New Benefit from Vitamin C! By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

What's one of the first things you do when you think you're coming down with a cold? If you're like most people, you drink orange juice and pop several chewable vitamin C tablets with hopes that you can ward off sneezing, congestion, and sheer misery.

But now, you can think about vitamin C for more than just cold and flu prevention. Recent published research has shown vitamin C to be a multi-tasker when it comes to disease prevention -- including type 2 diabetes.¹ The population-based study measured blood levels of vitamin C in healthy participants over a 4-year time span. It also evaluated participants' fruit and vegetable intake by way of a food frequency questionnaire.

The most significant finding was that higher blood levels of vitamin C were associated with decreased risk for type 2 diabetes -- most likely the result of diet and vitamin C supplementation. The study showed that fruit and vegetable intake alone had a somewhat lesser impact on type 2 diabetes risk. (Note: this finding was limited by unknowns such as the vitamin C content of the fruits and vegetables and estimation of portion sizes noted on the questionnaires.)

Despite that, the authors of this study suggest that eating more vegetables, fruits and supplementing with vitamin C are steps we can all take as preventive measures when it comes to type 2 diabetes risk.

It's ironic that when such a wonderful finding comes to light, many people have selective hearing or only apply one part of the information. I can just hear a fruit lover thinking, "Oh, I love fruit and this study says it's good for me. So I am going to eat all I want."

For these people, I would like to give just one warning. When it comes to diabetes risk, we must keep in mind that glycemic load (total amount of glucose from a food) and glycemic index (the food's effect on blood sugar) have a profound effect on blood sugar and diabetes risk.

Many studies show that increased intake of high GI and GL foods can increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and diabetes. I suspect that if a person put themselves out of glycemic control by eating too much fruit, the benefits of the vitamin C would be quickly undone.

So how can we have our "cake" and eat it too? I advise my patients to simply apply the 3:1 rule -- for every three vegetables you eat, eat no more than one serving of fruit as part of your daily intake. And choose lower GI/GL fruits such as apples, cherries, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, etc.

I highly recommend against consuming large amounts of fruit juices, which give you concentrated amounts of sugars but little or no fiber to slow down absorption into the bloodstream. This is supported by another recent study that showed increased fruit drink consumption by African American women was associated with a greater risk for type 2 diabetes, independent of the participants' body mass index.²

So when it comes to increasing vitamin C in your diet, use common sense: don't sabotage your healthy low-carb eating habits with large amounts of fruits and fruit juices. Eat more organic vegetables high in vitamin C such as sweet peppers, coriander leaf (cilantro) and tomatoes to name a few, and include fruit at levels that don't increase your blood sugar.

References

1. Harding A, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:1493.- 99.
2. Feinglos M and Totten S. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:1485-1486,1487-1492.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention. To learn more, click here.]

Healthy Recipes: Mahi Mahi with Italian Vegetables By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Mahi mahi is the Hawaiian word for "dolphin fish" -- but don't be confused by the name -- it's not at all related to the lovable porpoise. Native to warm coastal waters, mahi mahi is a delicious white fish that stands up to a variety of cooking techniques and ingredients. Here, it's complemented with garden vegetables rich in vitamin C.

Serves: 4

Time to Table: 30 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
Excellent source of vitamin C
Good source of vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, copper, manganese

Ingredients*

1 lb. Mahi Mahi steaks
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
2 medium baby zucchini, sliced
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. sea salt or to taste
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper or to taste

*Select organic ingredients for optimum nutrition.

Preparation
Heat olive oil over low to medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add basil, oregano, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms and sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add mahi mahi steaks and continue to cook until fish flakes easily with a fork and is cooked throughout. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Nutrition
200 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 25 g protein, 370 IU vitamin A, .3 mg riboflavin, 3 mg niacin,1 mg pantothenic acid, .2 mg vitamin B6, 18 mg vitamin C, 43 IU vitamin D, .3 mg copper, .2 mg manganese, 400 mg potassium, 250 mg sodium, 1 mg iron, 6 mcg selenium

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 08-12-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/