A book everyone should read (The Great Cholesterol Con - Malcolm Kendrick)

Member Name: laramax

Product:	The Great Cholesterol Con - Malcolm Kendrick
Date:	06/11/09 (45 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some interesting perspectives supported by evidence

Disadvantages: It takes time to read it

As I have got older I am finding that I have a greater interest in my health which is understandable really as I am finally beginning to realise I am reaching the age where bits of my body could start to fail. I like to think that I have a fairly healthy diet, I keep myself reasonably active and I don't carry a lot of excess weight. The question is, is that enough?

It would seem that many in the medical profession don't think so. Time and again they are recommending compulsory medication for people as they age and almost every time I pick up the paper there is an article telling me what is good for me and what isn't.

It is commonly stated that we should be careful about our Cholesterol levels and now even the major supermarkets are offering Cholesterol tests in their pharmacies so that we can find out just how ill we could be if we don't do something about it. The 'do something about it' generally means either taking statins for the rest of our lives or switching to healthy foods which will lower our Cholesterol levels.

Now you might call me something of a sceptic but in general I have always favoured taking a more 'natural' approach to my health and avoiding, where possible, the consumption of medication. I am quite smug about the fact that I got my blood pressure down to a normal level by changing my diet and lifestyle so I am no rush to go off to the doctors for something to control my Cholesterol. I am finding however that more and more of my contemporaries are taking statins and warning me that I should take my Cholesterol level seriously and start to measure it.
My style is to find out more about the issue and then I can make a reasoned judgement having looked at the alternatives to medication and so it was that I happened upon this little book.


About the author

This book is written by a British GP, Dr Malcolm Kendrick who is concerned about the hype around Cholesterol and uses this book to examine the evidence. He obviously feels very strongly about the subject and write with passion and a huge amount of knowledge and experience. He writes with clarity but he also peppers his writing with amusing comments which turns what could be a very dry analysis of statistics and studies into something which makes sense to the lay reader and keep your interest.

About the book

I bought the book in paperback from Amazon, the cover price is £7.99 but Amazon are selling it at £5.49. It is clearly set out in eleven chapters and starts out by explaining heart disease in a very straightforward way.

I have to confess that I found reading it quite addictive even though I didn't actually start at the beginning. I leapt straight to Chapter 9 - What causes heart disease? and then having read that went back and started at the beginning.It is a fascinating read and explains how statins, which are widely claimed to be a wonder drug, are the most profitable drug in the history of medicine. Dr Kendrick questions the truth behind the hype and makes several points. Firstly in his view:
* High cholesterol levels don't cause heart disease
* A high fat diet - saturated or otherwise - does not affect blood cholesterol levels
* The protection provided by statins is so small as to be not worth bothering about them for most men and women
* Statins have many more side effects than has been admitted and their advocates should be treated with scepticism due to their links with drug manufacturers.

He actually does a lot more than just make these statements, he backs them us with evidence and research and includes links if the reader wishes to do follow up anything he is saying.There are parts of the book that do get a bit technical but his writing and wit kept my interest and I could see plenty of commonsense in what he was saying. I found the comments about hydrogenated fats particularly fascinating although I have never been that keen on margarine and much prefer butter myself. I now realise just how bad they can be for you and yet they are widely being promoted for their health benefits!

Would I recommend this book?

Yes I would. In fact I think it is essential reading if you care about your health especially if like me the years are starting to catch up with you or if you have friends and family worrying about cholesterol. It is certainly worth reading if you are taking statins or are just about to start taking them.

I do think it is time we all woke up to the power of the drug companies and realised that they have profit at their heart and not actually the wellbeing of the population. You might not agree with me on this point of course but I suggest you read this little book anyway, it might just give you a broader perspective on things.

Footnote
What I really do like about this book is the author does not just blandly make his views on the subject clear but he provides details of all the studies he is using to form his opinions and references so that the reader can look up the information for themselves should they wish to know more. Whilst some of the material is quite technical he provides lots of useful analogies to explain the concepts to the lay reader.

This review has also been published on Ciao by laramax

Summary: An interesting perspective on the use of statins