 (ARA) - If you're one of the millions of Americans who are at risk for heart disease, chances are your doctor has prescribed statins to lower your cholesterol. But is this so-called wonder drug of the 21st century doing you more harm than good?
Although statins, which work by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol, are well tolerated by most people, they do have side effects. The most common include muscle and joint aches, nausea, diarrhea and constipation. These are typically no more than an annoyance, but there are two potentially serious side effects of statins of which you need to be aware:
* Liver damage. Occasionally, statin use causes an increase in liver enzymes. If the increase is only mild, you can continue to take the drug. If left unchecked, however, increased liver enzymes can lead to permanent liver damage.
* Muscle problems. The higher the dose of statin you take, the more likely you are to have muscle pains. In severe cases, muscle cells can break down (rhabdomyolysis) and release a protein called myoglobin into the bloodstream. Myoglobin can damage your kidneys.
If these potential side effects have you concerned, before starting a drug regimen you'll likely be on for the rest of your life, it's worth considering alternatives. A good place to start is by making the following lifestyle changes: quit smoking, start exercising daily, come up with a strategy for managing stress and eat plenty of heart-healthy foods. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and especially Omega-3 fatty acids.
Found naturally in such foods as salmon, flax seeds and walnuts, a growing body of scientific research indicates that Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent a wide range of cardiovascular problems including heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, arrhythmia and atherosclerosis. The health benefits are widely known, yet recent statistics indicate nearly 99-percent of people in the United States do not get enough Omega-3.
Why not? Because it's too hard to get all you need from food alone. Even if you ate cooked salmon every day, you'd only be getting 1.2 grams of the essential fatty acid daily. Most of the groundbreaking clinical studies have achieved their spectacular reductions in heart problems with doses more than double that - at least 2 to 4 grams per day.
You may be thinking, "How in the world can I work that much Omega-3 into my diet?" With the help of supplements, of course. But Dr. Dwight Lundell, a cardio-thoracic surgeon from Arizona who has performed more than 5,000 open heart surgeries, recommends you avoid the typical fish oil capsules on the market.
"Most of the fish oil capsules available today only contain 30 percent of the Omega-3 you need. The other 70 percent of the capsule is made up of mystery ingredients that likely include unhealthy saturated fat," says Dr. Lundell.
When people ask him which omega-3 fish oil they should take, he recommends PharmaOmega Cardio capsules. The all-natural, ultra-purified supplement has been specially formulated to protect the heart. Eighty-five percent of each Cardio capsule is pure, pharmaceutical grade super high concentrate Omega-3. The capsules also contain vitamin E, gelatin, glycerin, purified water and natural mint flavor.
"I recommend this supplement because I am convinced of its quality and the cost just can't be beat," says Dr. Lundell. "You can avoid all kinds of heart related problems if you're willing to invest just $1 a day on your health."
Click here to start protecting your health today. While supplies last, you can get a Free Sample of heart healthy PharmaOmega Cardio.
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