Death by Doctor

Cholesterol is one of my pet peeves.  Beware -- I have no medical training and don't know too much about biology.  I am not giving anyone medical advice or suggesting that a person discontinue any medication.  However, I do recommend that people do a little reading and thinking, research the side effects of various drugs and make decisions about their own quality of life. 

Denninger is talking about health and weight loss.  Read the whole thing.  What he says is what I think, especially this jewel: 

Finally, cholesterol.  There are literal billions of dollars made every year prescribing statins to "lower" cholesterol.  The problem is that cholesterol is necessary for life, that it is synthesized by the body and that most forms of it in the body are either benign or helpful.  Worse is that the standard three-panel test for cholesterol (LDL, HDL and Triglycerides) is worthless because the triglyceride number is not directly measured and only one subtype of LDL is harmful in the body!  The only meaningful test is one that is much more expensive and thus rarely used.  At the same time statins have a litany of side effects that are in and of themselves dangerous, including cognitive impairment and muscle damage, some of which can be permanent.

Emphasis is from the original.

I have no scientific evidence for what I am about to say.  Nevertheless, I suspect that, some day, the medical community may be forced to admit that a lot of diagnoses of Alzheimer's and other cognitive degeneration can be linked to cholesterol-lowering medications.  Personally, I would rather drop dead from a heart attack than wander around in a semi-vegetative state as a burden to my family or be stuck in some stinking facility. 

Medications have side effects.  Virtually every medication has some sort of impact apart from the condition it treats.  I think Rogaine was originally a heart medication.  NSAIDs can cause stomach ulcers and damage a person's liver.  Some side effects are worse than others. 

And this does not apply just to medicine, any time you consult an expert who stands to gain financially from the advice or recommendation he or she is giving you, it does not hurt to be a little skeptical.  That is just wisdom.  The expert may be passionate and sold on the solution, but even that can cause a person to lose a little objectivity.  There's no need to go full cynic or avoid doctors altogether.  Moderation is a good thing.  Be careful.