Statin Drugs (Cholesterol Fighters) and New Side Effects Revealed?

More than 40 million people in the United States take
Statin Drugs every day. The purpose is to lower your LDL
(BAD) Cholesterol. Statin drugs along with penicillin, and
aspirin, may well be the three greatest drugs ever
developed. These cholesterol fighting drugs have been known
to lower your bad cholesterol by as much as 25% to 40%
depending upon your unique body chemistry, and the actual
dosage that you take.

Statin drugs are the most profitable drugs manufactured by
the major drug firms. The five principal drug companies and
their respective statin drugs are:

Name of Drug Company: Merck
Generic Name: Zocor
Brand Name: Simvastatin

Name of Drug Company: Merck
Generic Name: Mevacor
Brand Name: Lovastatin

Name of Drug Company: Pfizer
Generic Name: Lipitor
Brand Name: Atorvastatin

Name of Drug Company: AstraZeneca
Generic Name: Crestor
Brand Name: Rosuvstatin

Name of Drug Company: Kos Pharaceuticals
Generic Name: Advicor
Brand Name: Lovastatin

Research has shown that half the people in this country who
suffer heart attacks have NORMAL Cholesterol levels at the
time of their attack. That's right; half the heart attack
victims are NORMAL. This implies that your Total
Cholesterol level is not the MAGIC KEY that doctors are
looking for. We also know that if you drive your LDL (BAD)
Cholesterol level down to 60, heart disease seems to stop
dead in its tracks. LDL Cholesterol is a subset of your
Total Cholesterol. It is just one component of your
Cholesterol, but obviously a very important one.

Here's the Potential PROBLEM???

We know that all drugs have side effects. Manufacturers
attempt to measure and quantify these side effects during
the FDA approved clinical trials. These trials take place
prior to a drug's mass distribution to the public.
Sometimes, certain side effects do not become apparent
until years after the drug's release.

Dr. Ralph Edwards is the director of the drug-monitoring
center of the World Health Organization (WHO). He possesses
a data base containing 4 million people, the drugs they
take, and the side effects they report. He has found 172
people in that data base who developed Lou Gehrig's disease
or something similar. All 172 had been taking prescription
drugs. Of these, 40 had been taking statin drugs, which is
the subject of our discussion.

Statistically, no more than ten patients should have been
taking statin drugs and reported this type of result. It is
a statistically unexplainable event. In other words too
many people taking statin drugs are reporting the
development of Lou Gehrig's disease, or similar type
illnesses. We are not saying there is a direct correlation
between the use of the statin drug and the onset of these
crippling diseases. There is without question, cause for
immediate and further study.

In addition, if you are taking any of the statin drugs
listed in this article, and you are experiencing any type
of side effects at all, INFORM YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.
Call him TODAY, not TOMMORROW.

Throughout the decades the major drug companies have
attempted to downplay drug side effects. This explains the
FDA's policy for decades of keeping drug side effects
quiet. They were not published in the media. The World
Health Organization is under no such requirement. Over the
last couple of years, the FDA in response to public demand
has published their drug findings on the Internet on a
quarterly basis.

PATIENT BEWARE

Most of us were taught the term caveat emptor, which means
BUYER BEWARE. We now must use the term PATIENT BEWARE. We
have a responsibility to our loved ones, and ourselves to
be aware of the adverse effects of the drugs we are using.
In the 21st century, we are in a period of information
overload. There is simply too much information coming at
all of us to digest. This includes doctors. We as patients
can not be completely reliant on our doctors being 100%
knowledgeable about the adverse events that can be produced
by the drugs their patients are taking. You must be
informed yourself. For a more elaborate version of this
article, please see our website.

Goodbye and Good Luck


----------------------------------------------------
Richard Stoyeck's background includes being a limited
partner at Bear Stearns, Senior VP at Lehman Brothers, Kuhn
Loeb, Arthur Andersen, and KPMG. Educated at Pace
University, NYU, and Harvard University, today he runs
Rockefeller Capital Partners and StocksAtBottom.com
http://www.stocksatbottom.com/ez.html

 

Blood Pressure Monitors - Tips on How to Use Them Correctly

If you are using a blood pressure monitor at home, do you
know how to use it to obtain consistently accurate readings?

Most pharmacies and medical supply stores sites have home
blood pressure monitors in two model types, manual or
digital. All monitors have the same basic components, an
inflatable cuff or strap, a gauge for readouts and
sometimes a stethoscope, depending on the model.

The cuff consists of an inner layer made of rubber that
fills with air and squeezes your arm. This cuff's outer
layer is generally made of nylon and has a fastener to hold
it in place. The gauges on monitors are either digital or
aneroid. The aneroid monitors have a gauge with a dial on
it that points at a number related to your blood pressure.

A manual blood pressure monitor consists of a stethoscope
and an inflatable arm cuff connected by a rubber tube to a
gauge that records the pressure. To use these cuff, you
inflate the cuff that goes around your arm by pumping a
bulb at one end of the tube. You listen for certain
benchmark arterial blood sounds your blood makes as it
flows through the brachial artery in the crook of your
elbow and count your own heart rate.

However, without proper training, it is difficult to
interpret those sounds. Digital blood pressure cuffs
usually have a built-in sensor that records the information
for you.

A digital monitor consists of a cuff and a gauge that
records the pressure. These devices automatically calculate
heart rate and measure your blood pressure. Some even give
you an error message if you are not wearing the cuff
properly. Digital monitors also deflate automatically.
Although you can get a digital cuff for your finger or
wrist, the one that fits on the upper arm is slightly more
accurate

No matter what type of home blood pressure monitor you
choose, proper use requires some practice and training.
Take the device to your doctor or nurse or find a class at
your local medical facility and learn how to use the
monitor accurately and keep it calibrated.

Here are some tips for using a monitor:

Have your doctor or nurse observe how you use the device so
that he or she can see if you are doing it properly

Take your blood pressure at consistent times, such as in
the morning and in the evening.

Use the same arm whenever you take your blood pressure.
Note that many digital monitors are meant for use only on
the left arm.

Don't measure your blood pressure immediately after you
wake in the morning. Wait an hour or so. If you exercise
after waking, take your blood pressure before exercising.

Avoid food, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol for thirty
minutes before taking a measurement.

Go to the restroom first. A full bladder can increase blood
pressure slightly.

Sit quietly for three to five minutes before a measurement.

Sit in a comfortable position with legs and ankles
uncrossed and your back supported.

Rest your arm, raised to the level of your heart, on a
table, desk or chair arm.

Don't talk while taking your blood pressure.

Place the cuff on bare skin, not over clothing.

Take a repeat reading two to three minutes after the first
one to check accuracy.

If you have a manual monitor, log blood pressure readings
or heart rates in a log book.

Take the monitor to be calibrated annually.

Blood pressure varies throughout the day and is often a
little higher in the morning. Contact your doctor if you
have any unusual or persistent increases in your pressure.
If you experience symptoms such as severe headache, chest
pain, numbness or tingling in the face or limbs seek
emergency medical treatment immediately.

If your blood pressure is well controlled, you may need
only check it at home a few days a month but remember that
home monitoring is not a substitute for visits to your
doctor.


----------------------------------------------------
Check out further information from Michael Jennings on
preventing hypertension, the "silent killer", and how to
monitor your blood pressure and living with hypertension on
a daily basis. ==> http://www.monitor-blood-pressure.com

 

Hair Loss in Women - Seven Reasons You Could Lose Your Hair

For many women there are few things more distressing than
the thought of going bald.  Hair loss or thinning hair is
expected in men over a certain age.  For a woman - it can
be a terrible blow to self esteem striking at the root of
her femininity.

Hair loss in women is not an uncommon condition.  Some
experts suggest that as many as one in four women - maybe
around 25 million Americans alone - experience hair loss at
some time in their lives.

So why do women suffer hair loss?

1. Hormones - We all know that men have hormones too but
women are subject to greater hormonal flux with higher
frequency and over a much longer period than men.
Pregnancy, childbirth and menopause are all conditions
unique to women that can result in thinning hair and even
total air loss.

2. Medication -  Just as for men, many modern medications,
like anti-depressants, blood thinners and anti-cholesterol
drugs can contribute directly to hair loss.  For  certain
women the birth control pill can be a contributory factor.

3. Genes -  Genetic causes of hair loss are more associated
with men but women too can suffer from female pattern
baldness, or androgenetic alopecia.  Around 15% of American
women are affected. Just as for men, dehydrotestosterone
(DHT) causes hair follicles to shut down.   The result for
women is a general thinning of hair rather than the bald
spots or receding hairline which is common in men.

4. Stress  - The effect of severe trauma can cause a major
reaction in the body resulting in sudden hair loss.
Traumatic hair loss can be physical or mental and can make
your hair fall out prematurely months after the stress is
experienced at an alarming rate - up to three to four
thousand hairs per day.   Though very upsetting sudden
traumatic hair loss is reversible.  Provided there is no
ongoing stress as a result of the initial trigger - the
body should be able to recover and the normal hair growth
cycle resumed within about 6 months to a year.

5. Illness - many common conditions, like diabetes or
thyroid disturbance, put the body under stress and
contribute directly to hair loss.

6. Hair damage - women do more to their hair than men and
some of the daily treatment we dish out to our hair can
have terrible effects.  Harsh shampoos, hair colorants,
bleaching, blow driers, straighteners - we seem to do
everything possible to cause hair stress.  The net effect
of all this can be dry damaged hair which is weak and more
brittle.  Weakened hair is more prone to break and
ultimately to fall out.

7. Dieting - Women generally diet more than men and are
more likely to go on extreme diets to shed weight.  Extreme
or nutritionally unbalanced weight loss diets can cause
hair loss. Although iron deficiency is often associated
with diet-related hair loss, a range of nutrient
deficiencies can result in thinning hair.

So - like many things in life - the causes of hair loss in
women are not straightforward.  You could suffer this
condition at any stage of your life - the important thing
is to try to identify the main causes and take action to
deal with them as soon as possible.


----------------------------------------------------
Eileen Gravelle is an author and web publisher who writes
extensively on all aspects of anti aging.  Her website:
http://www.simplyantiaging.com is a complete anti aging
resource with articles, practical advice. product reviews
and celebrity features for women in their forties and
beyond who want to look younger and feel great as they get older.

 

Natural Diabetes Herbs

When there's a natural remedy for most illnesses today, can
diabetes be far behind? Here's some good news for diabetic
patients who would like to consider a natural alternative.
Amazon Botanicals has a 100% natural product, which it
calls "Sugar Control" that is helpful in controlling blood
sugar levels.  "Sugar control" is made from two wonder
natural diabetes herbs from Peru - Yacon and Pata de vaca.
 Yacon is a perennial plant that is grown under warm and
humid conditions in Peru under altitudes of 9,300 feet. The
tuberous roots of Yacon are crisp and sweet and resemble a
bit of both an apple and a watermelon. Yacon is a natural
diabetes herb for diabetes and liver problems. Yacon is a
low calorie item. The calorie content in a jar of Yacon
extract is said to be half that of a similarly sized jar of
honey. Yacon tastes sweet without raising blood sugar
levels, because it contains a form of sugar that is not
absorbed in the body. This happens because carbohydrates in
Yacon are in the form of insulin and not starch. The
oligofructose, a dietary sugar found in Yacon, also
encourages growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon.
Yacon is also useful for persons suffering from
constipation. According to some, it also purifies the blood.

Pata de vaca, meaning literally "the cow's hoof" is a small
plant that grows to a height of 5-9 meters and has leaves
that are shaped like a cow's hoofs. Although the
traditional uses of this plant are not well documented, it
has occupied an important place in Brazil. The plant has
been used for over sixty years as a natural diabetes herb
in controlling blood sugar. Its effects are supposed to be
so good that it has earned the sobriquet "vegetable
insulin". Its effects have been clinically tested in South
America where it is a popular natural diabetes herb.

"Sugar Control" combines the goodness of these two natural
diabetes herbs to provide you with a reliable, safe and
natural treatment for diabetes. Amazon Botanicals use only
organically grown or ethically harvested herbs thus
assuring 100% purity without fillers. Other manufacturers
who procure the material from middlemen may, however, be
using stale or adulterated herbs that are unable to give
the benefits.

The herbs are available from Amazon Botanicals in two forms
- tincture and tea. The tincture is prepared by extracting
100% pure Yacon and Pata de vaca in distilled water and 40%
alcohol. The recommended dosage is 60 drops (2 ml) twice a
day, taken under the tongue or added to water or juice.

The tea is prepared from 100% pure Yacon and Pata de vaca
leaves and is available in the form of tea bags. The tea
bags are to be infused in hot water for ten minutes and
taken once a day.

Those under medication for diabetes should take medical
advice before starting on these natural diabetes herbs, as
they have an effect of lowering blood sugar levels and
hence may require adjustments in the existing medication
and their dosages, as well as monitoring of blood sugar
levels.


----------------------------------------------------
Patricia McDougall B.Sc. (Biology) Originally from Peru,
Patricia is the Director of Research and Development for
Amazon Botanicals LLC of Newark Deleware.
http://www.amazon-botanicals.com/Natural_diabetes_herbs_s/46
.htm