2001 November

Yesterday I wrote to you about an important point that I found buried behind media headlines. The media coverage of the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions focused almost exclusively on how more people should be taking statin drugs to prevent heart attacks and strokes. But I say the research really proves something we've been saying all along at HSI – that cholesterol isn't the be-all-end-all of heart disease prevention.

High cholesterol is not a disease in and of itself. Cholesterol does not CAUSE heart disease, it is merely a marker – and one marker out of many. Having "normal" or even low cholesterol levels does not eliminate your risk of heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, many people who rely on the mainstream (or their doctors) for health information haven't gotten the message.

Recent research shows that about 23 percent of us over age 65 have some level of cognitive impairment, and the risk increases 10 percent every ten years after that. And we still don't know very much about what causes it – or how to treat it. What we do know is that Alzheimer's is one of the most difficult diseases for people and their families to deal with.

Five and a half million people in the United States alone suffer from kidney stones – and it seems most of them would agree with the way Pat described the incredible pain. Unfortunately, mainstream medicine offers little relief. There's still no defined cause of kidney stones, and no defined cure.

A new study reveals that a mild iron deficiency – well short of anemia – may be all that's needed to impair cognitive function. Unfortunately, the study also suggests that an iron supplement will turn things around.