After conducting a series of experiments and clinical studies in the last few years, medical scientists have concluded that cholesterol-lowering drugs alone are most often inefficient in controlling cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart disease. Medical scientists claim that without proper diet and regular physical exercise, cholesterol-lowering drugs can neither prevent cholesterol build-up nor reverse the damage caused by cholesterol deposition inside the organism. Regardless or their nature, cholesterol-lowering drugs are only efficient when supported by a proper dietary plan and plenty of physical exercise. Overweight persons who follow treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs are also advised to lose weight in order to maximize the efficiency of such medications and considerably reduce the risk of heart disease.
The results of several recently conducted medical experiments have clearly suggested that even the most efficient cholesterol-lowering drugs are no substitute for proper diet and regular exercise. According to scientists, the risk of heart disease increases proportionally to bad cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol is a viscous, fatty substance that accumulates inside the body, obstructing the arteries; the higher the levels of bad cholesterol, the greater the risk of coronary disease and heart attack) and BMI (body mass index). Overweight persons who follow treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs may in time have balanced cholesterol levels. However, a high BMI (due to inappropriate diet and lack of physical exercise) can still pose a serious threat to one’s life; due to this fact, lots of persons with weight problems who are administered treatments with cholesterol-lowering drugs are not safe from coronary disease and other high-cholesterol associated problems.
The most relevant and conclusive experiment upon this matter has been recently conducted by an experienced team of medical researchers. The experiment involved the participation of 409 patients confronted with cholesterol problems, heart disease and obstruction of the coronary arteries. The patients were divided into 3 separate groups and were studied over a period of 5 years. The first group included 92 subjects who followed a doctor-prescribed treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs, kept a strict diet and exercised regularly, working hard to maintain normal cholesterol levels (LDL – bad cholesterol under the value of 90 and HDL – good cholesterol above the value of 45). The second group included patients who didn’t take cholesterol-lowering drugs, had an unhealthy diet and a physically inactive lifestyle. The last group included patients who followed a doctor-prescribed treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs but kept no healthy diet and didn’t exercise regularly.
By the end of the study, the results were more than conclusive: around 8 percent of patients in the first group had a heart attack or stroke over the period of the study; around 31 percent of patients in group two had a heart attack or stroke; around 24 percent of patients in the third group had a heart attack or stroke. Compared to the second groups, the first group (patients who received cholesterol-lowering drugs, kept a healthy diet and exercised regularly) was exposed to the lowest risk of heart failure or stroke as a result of abnormally high cholesterol levels.
The results of the experiment clearly suggest that cholesterol-lowering drugs, proper diet and regular physical exercise should go hand in hand. In order to minimize the risks of heart attack and stroke, patients with cholesterol problems are advised not to rely entirely on medications; they should respect an appropriate dietary plan and exercise frequently.
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Written By: Groshan Fabiola
