“The cholesterol hypothesis is, perhaps, the greatest ever example of a medical hypothesis that has become too powerful to die. Too many vested interests are intertwined with it. World famous experts would look incredibly stupid if the hypothesis were to be accepted to be wrong. An entire industry of cholesterol lowering would fall apart. Hundreds of billions of dollars of statin sales are at stake. Worse, much worse, the medical profession would end up with a few million eggs on its face. Perish the thought. Much better that millions die, surely.”
Since most of our parents raised us to believe in and tell the truth, we are vulnerable to lies. Many times, we are so naive and innocent that we think truth is invariably triumphant. It is, but the process is not often speedy.
The Cholesterol lies began in 1961. Now, they have become the basis for a multi-hundred-billion dollar statin drug industry. Doctors prescribe them to all their gullible patients. Many credulous physicians take them, as well.
Cholesterol is produced by the human liver. One may assume that our brain and liver, working in close harmony, are able to regulate the amount of cholesterol we need.
Like all nannies, everywhere, medical nannies don’t think our brains and livers can take care of themselves. So, lots of gullible oldsters are ingesting statin drugs that destroy their balance, hurt their minds, and generally mess up things.
Still, getting cholesterol levels down to the latest “right” level does give lots of people something they think is useful to think about while making a few very, very rich.
