The Great Cholesterol Con: The Truth About What Really Causes Heart Disease and How to Avoid It

This book contains some very clear explanations of many of the different words and concepts of the cholesterol debate. For the first time, I know why triglycerides are called "triglycerides". I know why measuring cholesterol in the blood is useless. I see some of my relatives taking statins, and it drives me nuts. I wish they would read this book. They are slowly killing themselves. A good friend of mine was told to take statins, and he did, for a month. He suffered severe muscular weakness, and I sent him information. He stopped cold turkey, and now in his mid-80's, his readings are amazingly normal. He regained his strength. The writer has a biting, sarcastic sense of humor. This may be off-putting for some people, but I think the pharmaceutical companies deserve it. I enjoyed this as much as I did the other aspects of the book. As they say, laughter is the best medicine. It never occurred to me that the manufacture of cholesterol is a multi-stage process in the liver, and that stopping the liver from making the final conversion to cholesterol may be just as damaging, if not more so. This would require further research, and I hope that when the author updates this book, he talks about it more. From Dr. William Campbell Douglass, II, I read that he would be worried if his cholesterol level went below 200. From Dr. Mercola, I learn that there is no connection whatsoever between cholesterol and any heart problems until the cholesterol goes above 330. It is also becoming widely known that women's cholesterol SHOULD be above 200. Trying to force-fit a woman into a man's normal readings is despicable. The writer shows WHY NO WOMAN should EVER take statins! I know nowadays, it is more popular to measure certain kinds of cholesterol. They responded to criticism of how invalid the whole thing is, but not in the way they SHOULD have. I also know there are quick and easy ways to lower cholesterol. My own was once measured at 220, and I went home and ate salsa which is loaded with cayenne twice weekly for awhile, and was re-tested, and it was 165. I am wondering if this lowered the cholesterol, or that I was simply caught at different times with respect to receptors that take cholesterol out of the blood. The bottom line is that taking a toxic pharmaceutical PATENT medicine is never wise, especially when there are so many healthy alternatives available. Are statins to blame for the fact someone close to me has diabetes? Considering similarity in heredity and the fact that I'm not even close to diabetes, though substantially older, should say something. If a doctor told me to take statins, I'd spit in his eye! This book gives me the BASIS for my position like nothing else I have read, covering many topics I have seen nowhere else. The author doesn't dwell on statins, though he discusses them. He doesn't need to. The other facts speak for themselves. In the meantime, I stay away from doctors. Who needs to trust the word of someone who regularly gets bribed by pharmaceutical companies, anyway? Obviously, medical shills will find this book lacking in some way. I don't trust them, either, for the same reason. He documents his assertions, and that's good enough for me. If you value your health, and your doctor instructs you to take statins, READ THIS BOOK. The life you save will be your own.

It there were 10 stars possible, I would give it 10 stars. The book is written by a British doctor whose humor is unmistakable; you can almost hear him and see his face with a funny under-mustache smile. It is a complicated subject that he manages to write about with great simplicity. There are several essential pages in this book but if there is one I would have to pull out, it would be the one in which he describes the chemical process of how the body creates cholesterol. Contrary to popular belief, it contains no fat at all so you can have all your doctors and friends telling you to stop eating fat becuase your cholesterol will increase but the two are unrelated so they are all wrong. It is also important to note that while many people think that if you eat fat you will become fat, this is equally true then to the following statements: if I eat cake I will become cake or if I eat grapes I will become grapes. Nonsense as it may sound, many doctor and people actually believe that eating fat will make you fat but actually eating sugar will make you fat. Also, eating sugar will create the kind of cholesterol that gets stuck in your arteries and may cause heart failure or stroke. Eating cholesterol or fat will have nothing to do with that except if you eat a ton of sugar AND fat--in which case you will get a heart attack while you are fat. Just to be sure you know--and this is not in this book as I am stating it--the human brain is 70% fat and 25% of all cholesterol in the body is found in the brain. The "white matter" (the most important layer that is insulation (myelin) around your neurons (brain cells)) is all made of cholesterol. Also, all cells in your body are made of fat and cholesterol. So, go ahead and get on a cholesterol lowering medicine and you instantly manage to reduce your brain power and your muscles in one hop! No wonder it causes memory issues (yeah.. your white matter gets reduced and your voltage starts to leak so your brain is degenerating). You also lose muscles from cholesterol lowering medicines since your muscle cells are made of cholesterol so you are literally destroying your muscles (your heart muscles too!). This book details the different thing we call cholesterol that are actually proteins, like LDL (the bad cholesterol) is actually Low Density Lipoprotein so it is not cholesterol at all and while it does carry some cholesterol inside the LDL protein ball, it also carries fat soluble vitamins. So if you want to lower your LDL, you are lowering your vitamins. Makes sense? Not much. So read this book to understand. Since he wrote this book, science has advanced and has proven him right so enjoy learning science in a casual way filled with British humor. You will love it!

I now for the second time read the book which I bought 6 ½ year ago, as one of the many books I have bought since my cholesterol fighting against doctors and hospitals here in Chiang Mai then started. It began when my wife was measured in having the total cholesterol on 268 and with the HDL on 114, and they only allowed respectively 0 - 200 and < 50. So they wanted her to start on statin drugs. Among other I then showed them that according to the Harvard calculation her chance in being hit by heart diseases during the following 10 years only was 1 %, while I, with only having the total on 195, actually had 8 % chance. But for to them only they knew about cholesterol, so she had to start on statins. My wife trusted the doctors, not me, but luckily already after 2 days she got it so bad with the drug that she had to stop. But still she by doctors is told that she should start on drugs, and what not to eat, but don’t follow then, as concerning the food she likes shrimps and crabs too much. When I by doctors hear their talking about Cholesterol (or Cancer) I then put facts on the table, and then each time realize that they don’t know anything except what they have been told by the drug producers, from whom they earn extra money. And I even have written many sides both to doctors and hospitals, and showed and lend out books, despite knowing that they won’t change mind before the drug producers put down some new writings. In some of the hospitals here in Chiang Mai we on the blood result papers see that our total cholesterol shall be 0 – 200, in the other 150 - 200! How can a human person live with only 0 or close to 0 in cholesterol which I have asked them, but each time been told that so it is. And I have then in my writings pointing out different bad results by having low cholesterol, as we for example se by the result of the genetic Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (mentioned in the book); no answer. We are used in from doctors hearing what not to eat if the total cholesterol number is higher than 200, so it’s interesting in the book on the side 21 to read that Ancel Keys, the founder of the low fat idea, which nowadays is connected to the cholesterol idea, that he once wrote: “There’s no connection whatsoever between cholesterol in food and cholesterol in blood”. And actually FDA recently turned over and stated that the doctors no longer in connection with the cholesterol shall tell us what not to eat. But when will the doctors recognize this? In the Chapter 6, “Eat Whatever You Like (Diet has nothing to do with Heart Disease)”, we for example have 2 graphs concerning the saturated fat which we are told to minimize. And by these graphs we thereby learn that Keys for his “prof” only took the results from countries which statistically results were fitting to his idea. Because here we quite opposite to what we are told by official health information see that in reality the countries having the lowest numbers in saturated fat also have the highest heart disease death. Actually France, famous for the food, by having 16% in saturated is the number one in using most saturated fat, but also the number one with the lowest death rate. And at another side we read the results which came out when studies where made in proving that Atkins diet with high fat and low carbohydrate was dangerous. This was done by during half a year putting half of 240 overweight persons on Atkins diet, and the other half on the American Heart Association’s low fat step 1 diet. After six month as average those on the Atkins diet then had lost 31 pounds, and increased their HDL by 11%. The result for the other is not told but I think that they did not chance at all, as I’ve read in other books. To me the number one graph which Kendrick also on the Internet has brought out to the public, and which I have told about to doctors, is the one on side 119, entitled “Comparison between heart-disease rates in men aged 35-74 and average cholesterol lives in 15 populations”. On this graph it is astonishing to see that the Australian Aboriginals who by the 4.9 mmol/l, (189 mg/dl), have the lowest cholesterol level, but besides the also have the rate number on 1,150 which is the highest death rate number. And totally opposite to this we between the other 12 countries then have Switzerland with the cholesterol level being around 33% higher, and the death rate around 8 times lover! Statistical results showing us that what we are told by doctors don’t fit well to reality. We also read that the hypothesis that the cholesterol results in heart attack started 150 years ago, as it then was discovered that the plaques in the arteries contained a great deal of cholesterol. So as there among other was found cholesterol in the plaques that could block for blood to the heart, then the cholesterol was found guilty. And the idea then many years later was increased after an absurd research result, absurd as rabbits after being feed with high cholesterol diets were found having thickened arteries. But for the rabbits the food they got was as wrong as if cats were feed with grass. But the cholesterol bandwagon, as it is written, had started to run. And among the strange explanations telling why we shall be low in cholesterol we for example read that O’Keefe tells us that as the Baboon monkey only has a total cholesterol number on 2.1 mmol/l, and it likewise also low in the hunter-gatherer comities he points out, therefore we also has to be low in cholesterol. But to this Kendrick points out that the Baboon only has a life expectancy of 30 years, and for the people comities used as proof they actually only have a live expectancy of 17 to 32.5 years, the lowest for the Pygmy. And as we normally first talks about heart attacks for persons older than 50 years, then how can we be compared with these, who newer get old enough to get heath diseases, and how can it thereby be used in proving that cholesterol results in heart diseases? Concerning what than can result in heart diseases we last in the book interestingly read about historical stress cases which resulted in heart diseases and shorter living. To me it is interesting to read about in what stress can result, as I here in Chiang Mai, back in 2003, went to a neurological doctor and pointed out my stress problem as result of my wife sabotaging my motorcycle driving. I told him that I was afraid that it might result in accidents, but the doctor didn’t understand stress, and didn’t help, and ¾ of a year later my accidents started by black out very parallel to by epilepsy, and now I’m invalid. Most doctors only know the word stress, and connect it with working too hard. But in the book, concerning stress and heart diseases we among other look at social dislocation and social dislocation and physical markers of HPA-Axis dysfunction. Concerning the first group we for example read that when the border between Finland and Russia after WWII was moved west, then 400,000 persons were relocated. And after that on the location where they then lived there was the highest rate of heart disease in Finland. And the same happened to the 550,000 person who were moved from Glasgow to a new build ‘cold’ modern city. But after around 15 - 20 years it for these cases, and other in the book started to turn back to how it was before. We also read about the problem for the emigrants moving to other cultures, and as quit different stress case we have the stress after a totally political chance in countries. As such a case we read that in Russia, after the collapse by the fall of the wall in 1989, the age-adjusted mortality rose 33 % between 1990 and 1994, when the expectancy for Russian men declined from 63.8 to 57.7, and for the women from 74.4 to 71.2 ears. And that the male Russian life expectancy is now 20 years less than in most of Western Europe. And concerning our need in cholesterol, it’s interesting to read that already back in the 1960s it was recognized that people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs tended to die more frequently from violent deaths of accidents and suicide. And personally, a 83 old friend of mine, 3 years ago by his doctor was put on Zocor, because of his cholesterol being 276, even though I argued against this and lend him 2 good books about cholesterol; Graveline and Ravnskov. His personality now has changed, and last year he had 2 small heard attacks. I have asked after where I can meet his doctor, but he won’t tell. It’s an excellent book by which persons ought to understand that they not shall chance the cholesterol, and that the statin nearly only is poison, but most persons blindly trust their doctors. Which we actually also see in the book by reading that Kendrick’s wife’s father only trust his own doctor and not Kendrick, even though he discovered the problems when the doctor increased his drugs!

The physiological information in this book is invaluable. I am convinced that stress is the root of many of the symptoms currently identified as "risk factors" for heart attacks and strokes. Since he is Scottish, and I am American, the use of the metric system makes it a bit confusing at times, but I just read along assuming that the numbers supported his claim. He spends much of the book refuting the most commonly held beliefs of the public and even most mainstream physicians and dieticians as to the causes, risk factors and links to heart attacks and strokes. He uses detailed study information to do so and I would have preferred a less detailed synopsis of each study, but I just skimmed a lot of those to get through. I read this because my husband's lipids just came in a little high, and I am now encouraging him to exercise, take Omega 3s, drink a few glasses of wine and limit his carb intake to lose a little weight. We are not cutting any saturated fats or worrying about his numbers any longer - just working to relax to limit the stress reaction. Worth the read. I'm planning to move on to a few other books written from the same perspective for reinforcement.

This book definitely solidified my views on the cholesterol debate in a world which seems to have become hysterical about the whole issue of high cholesterol and low-fat diets. I am not a medical person, just someone interested generally in healthy living. I had been sceptical about the 'high cholesterol = heart disease' theory before I read The Great Cholesterol Con, but really had no basis for my views apart from the fact that if we have cholesterol in our bodies, I felt we must need it. I was also very dubious about the whole low-fat diet promotion. There is obviously an industry at stake, and there appears to be a lot of high pressure 'salesmen' regularly writing articles about the manifold dangers of fat in the diet. Having read Dr Kenrick's book I feel that I was justified in being both sceptical and dubious. If I had any doubts before I haven't any longer, because what he says makes complete sense. I am so sure Dr Kendrick has hit the nail on the head that I am prepared to fight the 'statin-enforcers' whatever spin they put on their 'life-saving drugs'. Seriously, read this book. I found it reasonable, logical, statistical - and as an added bonus it made me laugh. I am now a Dr Kendrick groupie, and would make a bee-line for any book of his if he ever writes another one!

This book is a rare gem in the world of health and nutrition publishing. Most works of similar depth are far more difficult reads, and most works of similar ease are riddled with errors. This book managed both depth and ease. It takes the time to walk the reader through not only some history of the cholesterol hypothesis, but also the exact reasons why the cholesterol hypothesis cannot be true, even beyond the lack of evidence. Although it's historical coverage isn't as extensive as works like Good Calories Bad Calories, it still does a sufficiently good job to show how we can reach the current situation of medical 'knowledge'. By far more important, however, is the step-by-step showcase of how every link of the cholesterol hypothesis breaks down. It also features a tour de force against statins, and some solid evidence in favor of a cortisol causal mechanism for heart disease. While it doesn't convince me that stress is the only cause of heart disease, the evidence provided makes it a cause that cannot be ignored. Excellent book, highly recommended to anyone looking to learn about heart disease, cholesterol, and statins in an easy to read package.

Rarely has such concise, funny [yes] and deadly serious book been written about the hoax of "bad cholesterol". Fear of -and the war on- cholesterol is the driving force behind poor quality foods and ineffective drugs with side-effects. We now know [and thanks Dr. Kendrick] that lowering cholesterol with drugs will never, repeat never, prevent a heart attack in or extend the lives of women and he smoothly presents the same case for the vast majority of [especially older] men. Pass this book on to your doctor, or send a copy to those you see promoting the fear of cholesterol on a next TV program, or other 'opinion leader' [my own copy will go to a top cardiologist]. No one can argue with the hard reality and logic of this book. Feel upset about having ignored the underlying causes of heart disease by the cholesterol distraction. The book is unfortunately silent about homocysteine, that artery toxin easily lowered with a daily multivitamin but Dr. Kendrick endorses omega-3 oil as beneficial, and he explains the evil role in the endgame of 'stress'. Debate about the causes of heart disease will continue to change with time and may differ for many of us but at least we now know what heart disease is NOT caused by, and that is "bad cholesterol". A 'must read' for the cost of a few 'cholesterol pills' but probably healthier, no doubt safer and certainly more entertaining!

For people who want to know more about the Statin medicines their doctors prescribe, this is an excellent read. Heart disease is a serious concern and statins are a controversial prescription. The author informs, educates, and on occasion displays a comforting sense of humor. When you see your doctor, they rarely have time for in depth explanations of your condition. This book goes into 'nuts & bolts' details of cardio vascular function and points out some of the statin discrepancies that remain unexplained. Years ago my dentist asked me about the medications I was taking. I told him my doctor has me taking 2 Rx, one for blood pressure, the other for cholesterol. The dentist told me that "he would never use a statin" but didn't explain why. After reading this book I now understand his reluctance toward statins.

For the newly diagnosed patients with raised cholesterol, who have been prescribed Statin therapy, this book will explain simply, and with great humour, why you ought not to take statins. It explores (and debunks) the current medical gold standards which have been based on rather poor science, since the first major study (Framingham, Mass) was carried out, ostensibly to determine the effects of cholesterol on heart disease. The long-term statin taker could also benefit from reading this book. You will be surprised at the twists and turns that the medical profession, in conjunction with the large pharmaceutical companies, has taken to preserve the illusion that high cholesterol is a predictor of heart disease. The most startling evidence is that low cholesterol levels are a robust predictor of the risk of dying prematurely. Dr Kendrick is to be applauded for writing about a complex subject, in terms that any layperson could easily follow. He explains medical jargon simply and summarises each chapter in plain English. If your own personal medical practitioner is banging on about your elevated cholesterol levels and the risks you run of dying from coronary artery disease, you now have the means to prevent yourself being bullied into accepting statin medication. Information is power and knowledge is the means by which you can wield that power. You deserve the opportunity to take control of your own health... which is far better than letting a drug company decide how you will live your life. The book is very reasonably priced and it does not attempt to sell anything to the reader nor do you have to sign up to any cult. This book truly deserves to be a best-seller and there should be a copy of it on every medical practitioner's desk.

Such a remarkable book and very refreshing. Dr Kendrick is extremely knowledgeable on the subject of heart disease and cholesterol. He writes honestly and with a great sense of humour, it had me laughing out loud at times. This book i essential reading if you take statins and could save your life.

This is a wonderful book Dr. Kendrick makes some very reasonable and logical points as to why cholesterol and also saturated fats are not the real causes of heart disease and strokes. His points are very rational and make a lot of sense and give the reader another angle to look at heart disease. The book is easy to read and understand, even for someone like myself who has not had to much scientific exposure or knowledge. Dr. Kendrick is also very funny and a pleasure to read. If you are thinking about getting this book I definitely encourage you to do so, I think you will find the information and the data very interesting as well as eye opening.

Based on scientific evidence, this book explodes all myths about cholesterol. It explains how and why cholesterol has been demonised by medical professionals. A must read for all those who want to understand heart diseases and find a cure!

Por tu propia salud --física y mental-- te interesa leer este libro. Incluso si no te llegases a creer lo que cuenta el autor, te hará pensar, te dará otro punto de vista muy interesante, y tendrás que plantearte cuál puede ser el verdadero origen de los problemas. Es muy importante que cuando las explicaciones que se dan a ciertos problemas reales no son capaces de resistir un análisis científico, alguien tiene que levantar la voz para denunciarlo, y hacernos ver que lo que nos han venido contando no sea, muy probablemente, la respuesta correcta: la respuesta científica no puede ser que ese caso es una paradoja (que tiene lugar en millones de individuos). Antes de leer este, recomendaría leer su otro libro "Doctoring Data: How to sort out medical advice from medical nonsense". Y después de este, no te pierdas "The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won't Prevent Heart Disease-and the Statin-Free Plan That Will", de Sinatra y Bowden. Después de leer esos tres libros tendrás mucha más información sobre cosas que deberían importarte: sobre tu vida y la de quienes te rodean, y que te permitirán tomar decisiones de una forma más razonada.