Statins have many beneficial effects but also risks. Treadmill desks offer better overall results with no side effects.
Cholesterol lowering drug Crestor has been found to reduce the risk of blood clots by 43% in addition to reducing the incidence of heart attacks and stroke according to a study to be presented at the American College of Cardiology. Does this mean we should all run out and ask our doctors to prescribe this drug? Most definitely, no.
Participants in the study had increased levels of C-reactive proteine (CRP) a measure of levels of inflammation in the body but did not have elevated levels of LDL (bad cholesterol).
The study showed that statins have potential benefits on venous circulation as well as arterial circulation. The statins are believed to lower the CRP levels in the blood. The clinical trial focused on 18,000 men and women with an average age of 66. Each participant received 20 mg of Crestor daily.
While this is encouraging news for individuals with elevated levels of CRP or LDL it should be noted that exercise has been shown to have similar results without the risk of side effects.
Statins do have side effects such as muscle pain and depression so should not be taken without serious deliberation between the patient and their physician.
In fact 20% of the population have issues with statins that would prevent their use.
The recommendation ofcourse is to stay healthy through diet and exercise in addition to or lieu of statin use.
Exercise, such as walking daily at a treadmill desk has been shown to dissolve blood clots and lower levels of CRP and LDL as well. Sedentary lifestyles lead and obesity lead to reductions in tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) a critical blood clot dissolver in the body.
Obese individuals have severely lowered levels of (t-PA) yet walking just 45 minutes a day for five days a week increased the t-PA levels by as much as 50% in a study of obese participants in 2003.
While we are not recommending patients ignore the value of statins we are suggesting that diet and exercise may either alleviate the need for statin use altogether or serve as a preemptive means of restoring overall health.
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