The Great Cholesterol Myth, Revised and Expanded: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won't Prevent Heart Disease--and the Statin-Free Plan that Will - National Bestseller

The best-selling book on heart disease, updated with the latest research and clinical findings on high-fat/ketogenic diets, sugar, genetics, and other factors.

Heart disease is the #1 killer. However, traditional heart disease protocols—with their emphasis on lowering cholesterol—have it all wrong. Emerging science is showing that cholesterol levels are a poor predictor of heart disease and that standard prescriptions for lowering it, such as ineffective low-fat/high-carb diets and serious, side-effect-causing statin drugs, obscure the real causes of heart disease. Even doctors at leading institutions have been misled for years based on creative reporting of research results from pharmaceutical companies intent on supporting the $31-billion-a-year cholesterol-lowering drug industry.

The Great Cholesterol Myth reveals the real culprits of heart disease, including: inflammation, fibrinogen, triglycerides, homocysteine, belly fat, triglyceride to HDL ratios, and high glycemic levels.

Best-selling health authors Jonny Bowden, PhD, and Stephen Sinatra, MD, give readers a four-part strategy based on the latest studies and clinical findings for effectively preventing, managing, and reversing heart disease, focusing on diet, exercise, supplements, and stress and anger management. 

Myths vs. Facts

Myth: High cholesterol is the cause of heart disease.
Fact: Cholesterol is only a minor player in the cascade of inflammation which is a cause of heart disease.

Myth: Saturated fat is dangerous.
Fact: Saturated fats are not dangerous. The killer fats are the transfats from partially hydrogenated oils.
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Myth: The higher the cholesterol, the shorter the lifespan.
Fact: Higher cholesterol protects you from gastrointestinal disease, pulmonary disease, and hemorrhagic stroke.

Myth: High cholesterol is a predictor of heart attack.
Fact: There is no correlation between cholesterol and heart attacks.

Myth: Lowering cholesterol with statin drugs will prolong your life.
Fact: There is no data to show that statins have a significant impact on longevity.

Myth: Statin drugs are safe.
Fact: Statin drugs can be extremely toxic including causing death.

Myth: Statin drugs are useful in men, women, and the elderly.
Fact: Statin drugs do the best job in middle-aged men with coronary disease.

Myth: Statin drugs are useful in middle-aged men with coronary artery disease because of its impact on cholesterol.
Fact: Statin drugs reduce inflammation and improve blood viscosity (thinning blood). Statins are extremely helpful in men with low HDL and coronary artery disease.

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, (Woodland Hills, CA), also known as The Nutrition Myth Buster, is a nationally known, board-certified nutritionist and expert on diet and weight loss. He has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS and has contributed to articles in the New York Times, Forbes, the Daily Beast, Huffington Post, Vanity Fair Online, Men’s Heath, Prevention, and dozens of other print and online publications. He is a popular speaker who presents at both academic and consumer events all over the world.

Stephen Sinatra, M.D., is a board-certified cardiologist, educator, and author who created the Manchester, CT-based Heart MD Institute (www.heartmdinstitute.com) as an educational platform focused on prevention and proactive lifestyle changes to live a healthier life. He is the author of Reverse Heart Disease Now, The Sinatra Solution, Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks, and Heart Sense for Women. He has also contributed to several prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Heart Disease, CT Medicine, and the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation.