Okay, so you have high cholesterol and your doctor tells you to take some form of cholesterol-lowering drugs, the class of drug typically known as statins. While statins do lower cholesterol, they seem to come with a minefield of severe side effects, some of them permanent. You must know what the side effects are so that you can make a proper decision on how to achieve health; after all, it’s your life.

1. Cancer. Research is showing statins to be carcinogenic in experimental animals in similar dosages as those given to patients. Some studies are showing a disturbing increase in breast cancer, though there seems to be a lag time of a decade or more between exposure to the drug and clinical detection of the disease.

2. Kidney Failure. Statins have been shown to cause rhabdomyolysis. This is a condition in which there is a breakdown of skeletal muscle, which can result in acute renal failure due to the accumulation of muscle breakdown products in the bloodstream.

3. Heart Failure. Though it may seem to be a paradox, since taking statins is supposedly for heart-health, several studies are showing an increase in congestive heart failure in people taking statins. One report states that a cardiologist studied 20 patients with normal heart function. After six months on a low dose of statins, two-thirds of the patients had abnormalities in the heart’s “filling phase,” when the muscle fills with blood.

4. Liver Dysfunction. Even the drug companies’ own disclaimers warn about the possible risk of liver problems.

5. Memory Loss and Cognitive Impairment. Search the web and you’ll find countless reports of people taking statins and then suffering from mild to severe memory loss and cognitive impairment. One doctor has found that 15 percent of statin patients develop some side effects pertaining to cognitive function. Duane Graveline, a retired family doctor and former NASA scientist/astronaut, has written a book called “Lipitor: Thief of Memory,” in which he describes incidents of complete loss of memory, known as “global transient amnesia,” in patients taking statins. The sufferers can suddenly forget their own name, where they are, or what they’re doing. The episode can occur suddenly and disappear just as suddenly. With as many as 25 million people currently taking statins, the risks are not only to the users but to those dependent on them. Imagine the potential danger of a surgeon who suddenly can’t remember why he is standing over someone with a scalpel in his hand. Or even worse, an air traffic controller at a busy airport who forgets how to do his job.

6. Nerve Damage and Numbness. Polyneuropathy is a neurological disorder that occurs when many peripheral nerves throughout the body malfunction at the same time. The symptoms are weakness, difficulty walking, and pain and/or tingling in the hands and feet. A study in Denmark found that the risk of nerve damage was increased by 15 percent in people who had been taking statins for one year. The risk rose to 26 percent in people on the drugs for two years or more. Furthermore, any nerve damage incurred is often irreversible, even after coming off the drugs.

7. Miscellaneous Maladies. There are many reports of other side effects such as depression, pancreatic rot, muscle stiffness and pain, coenzyme Q10 depletion, and the list goes on.

Are statins worth the risk? Only you and your doctor can make that decision. Strict adherence to four lifestyle changes – a vegan diet, stress management, exercise and elimination of tobacco – may be the very best solution. Plus it comes with many benefits and no side effects. Check out www.EradicateHighCholesterol.com to learn more.