Stress

The huge and lengthy MRFIT study (Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial) was designed to prove the links between diet, cholesterol, and other Framingham risk factors with heart disease. 

Cholesterol consumption was cut by 42 percent, and saturated fat consumption by 28 percent and on long-term follow-up, those adhering to this dietary fat restriction had slightly lower coronary heart disease death rates. 

However, this benefit was far outweighed by significantly increased total mortality rates, especially from hemorrhagic stroke, cancer, suicide, accidents and violence. 

The risk of dying from a cerebral hemorrhage was 500% greater in those with low cholesterol compared to those with high levels. In most other studies, the incidence of stroke was higher in those who ate less saturated fat. 

 Excerpted, with permission, from: Health and Stress, The Newsletter of The American Institute of Stress. (www.stress.org) Paul J. Rosch, M.D., M.A., F.A.C.P. Former President of The American Institute of Stress, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at New York Medical College, Honorary Vice President of the International Stress Management Association and Chairman of its U.S. branch. 

 Updated November 2016 Update 

Since this article was first written in September 2010, additional evidence has accumulated to support the assertion that heart attacks are not due to elevated cholesterol or LDL, and that these are merely risk markers because of a statistical association rather than risk factors that have a causal relationship. 

 In addition, the important role of stress has been increasingly confirmed. 

 Abundant updated support for both of these claims can be found in numerous chapters in a recent book that I edited entitled Fat and Cholesterol Don't Cause Heart Attacks And Statins Are Not The Solution, especially: 

 Monteiro C. "Stress as a cause of atherosclerosis" – (The Acidity Theory) 

Kendrick M. "Cardiovascular disease is primarily due to blood clotting" – (discussion of the effects of stress on clotting and nitric oxide by the author of The Cholesterol Con) 

Okuyama H. Langsjoen PS et al. "Industrial Control of Guidelines for Lipid Nutrition" – (update of previous article by this group showing that lowering cholesterol with statins stimulates atherosclerosis and heart failure) 

Harcombe Z. "How Dietary Guidelines, Bad Science, Politics And Profit Have Contributed To The Current Epidemic of Obesity and Incidence of Heart –Disease" – (incontrovertible proof that there was never any scientific basis for recommendations to sharply restrict dietary fat) 

de Lorgeril M, Rabaeus M. "Critical Review Of Recent Drug Company Sponsored Trials About Statin Efficacy And Safety" – (one of several chapters explaining how drug company sponsored trials hype efficacy and minimize or ignore adverse side effects) 

Graveline D, Rosch PJ. "Why Reported Statin Side Effects Are Just The Tip Of A Titanic Iceberg"

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