Heart disease is America’s leading cause of death, robbing nearly 700,000 people of their lives each year. Yet, frighteningly, it continues to grow with no end in sight. Researchers expect that by 2060, coronary artery disease will increase by a whopping 30 percent.
Prescription drug use for heart disease also continues to rise. Billions of cardiovascular medications are prescribed yearly in the United States, with statin drugs taking the lead. A 2020 study found that statin use was up 20 percent in the last decade alone.
It begs the question: Why are more and more people dying from heart disease if these drugs work? The truth is that prescription drugs don’t reverse heart disease. And, in many cases, they make matters worse.
3 reasons why prescription drugs won’t reverse heart disease
- Prescription drugs don’t address the root cause of heart disease
Conventional medicine is severely misguided when it comes to treating heart disease. Instead of addressing the root cause of cardiovascular disease, doctors use prescription medications to chase symptoms.
What many healthcare providers fail to recognize is that cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and altered blood sugar are symptoms of a bigger problem.
To think that we can treat heart disease by lowering these risk factors with prescription drugs is like bailing water out of a sinking ship without repairing the hole. Eventually, you will drown.
Believe it or not, the root cause of heart disease is not cholesterol. Instead, heart disease is primarily caused by inflammation. Poor diet, mold exposure, heavy metal toxicity, and environmental toxins lead to inflammation, causing tiny holes in the artery walls.
However, by artificially lowering cholesterol through prescription drugs such as statins, doctors are ignoring the root cause of the problem. Prescription meds for heart disease give people the wrong impression that they are healthy if their laboratory numbers fall within a specific range. Unfortunately, while medications might take symptoms away, they don’t address the underlying disease process.
- Prescription drugs for heart disease don’t work
A medication deficiency has never caused heart disease, nor will heart disease ever be cured by taking medication. Pharmaceutical drugs for heart disease simply don’t work.
Take, for instance, statins, which are prescribed to reduce cholesterol. These drugs do their job, markedly lowering total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). But unfortunately, multiple studies show that they do virtually nothing to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, or death.
It begs the question: What is the end goal? What good is it to lower cholesterol if your risk of dying remains the same? More importantly, what if these drugs increase your chance of dying?
A 2017 study found an 18 percent increase in death rate for individuals over 65 taking statins for primary prevention, while those over 75 saw a 34 percent increase.
Not only do prescription drugs not work for heart disease, but they also come with significant risks. Statins takers, for example, may be impacted by the following dangerous side effects:
- Muscle pain
- Neuropathy and weakness
- Dizziness
- Cognitive impairment
- Depression
- Increased risk of diabetes
- Heart failure
- Cardiomyopathy
- Depleted nutrients, such as CoQ10
- Lower testosterone levels
- Prescription drugs don’t contain the nutrients needed to reverse heart disease
Perhaps the most significant danger of taking medications for heart disease is the false sense of security they provide. Many people believe they can pop a pill and solve the problem.
Unfortunately, prescription drugs don’t contain the nutrients needed to heal heart disease. The heart requires particular vitamins and minerals to function correctly. Not only do prescription drugs lack these vital nutrients, but they often work to deplete the body of its reserve.
For example, research shows that statin use depletes the body of CoQ10, an essential nutrient for heart health. Additionally, because statins lower cholesterol, they may impact the body’s ability to make other essential vitamins, such as D.
Statins have also been shown to block the production of vitamin K2 and selenium, two crucial heart-healthy nutrients.
If prescription drugs won’t reverse heart disease, what will?
Prescription drugs are not the answer when it comes to halting heart disease. This is a scary thought for many people who have come to believe that taking medication will make them healthy.
While there is no such thing as a magic pill to reverse coronary artery disease, there are still definite ways to switch directions. To heal the heart, one must eat, live, and think well.
- Eat well
Optimal heart health depends on eating an organic, whole foods-based diet, much like our ancient ancestors.
The best diet to reverse heart disease includes plenty of wild seafood, grass-fed nose-to-tail animal products, and organic produce such as green leafy vegetables, avocados, and other plants. Diets rich in healthy fats, such as olives, coconut, nuts, and seeds, are also beneficial for the heart.
What goes into the body is as important as what stays out. So removing gluten-containing products, GMOs, pesticides, and other chemicals is vital for the 100 year heart.
- Live well
A healthy heart requires a healthy lifestyle. One of the most effective ways to reverse heart disease is to get plenty of physical activity. Spending time outdoors is an underrated strategy for healing the heart. Breathing fresh air, interacting with the trees, and basking in the healing sun are all requirements for a robust cardiovascular system. Balancing our busy lives with quality sleep is also essential.
Moreover, increasing knowledge shows that exposure to environmental toxins, mold and electromagnetic frequencies is linked to cardiovascular disease. Therefore, identifying strategies to reduce these exposures are critical.
- Think well
Believe it or not, research shows that people with depression are at substantially higher risk for clogged arteries that lead to heart disease. Studies also show that loneliness may increase your risk of a heart attack by nearly 30 percent.
Emotional and mental wellness are vital components of a healthy heart. Spending time with loved ones, finding a hobby, and improving your outlook are all effective strategies for reversing heart disease.
Next Steps
You aren’t alone if you’ve been sold the lie that your body needs medication to stay healthy. But unfortunately, prescription drugs are rarely the answer for a healthy heart. If you have a goal, consider working with one of our highly-skilled health coaches.
Medical Review: Dr. Jack Wolfson, 2023
