Cholesterol and Statins

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

It’s been a while since I’ve hit the cholesterol and statin drug topic. There are new research articles coming out all the time. Right now there is even disagreement in the medical community as to who benefits from statins and even if they are needed at all in some people.

For 40 years the medical community and the U.S. government have warned that eating cholesterol rich foods like eggs would raise our LDL and promote heart disease. Decades of research since then have failed to produce any correlation.

The guidelines are still misleading and wrong because the basic premise is faulty. Dietary fat is indeed associated with heart disease; BUT it is the processed vegetable oils and margarines which are loaded with trans-fats and omega 6 fatty acids that are the problem, not the animal fats and saturated fats which are beneficial to the heart.

Got a Charley Horse?

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Have you ever had a charley horse? You know the muscle cramp in your calf that makes you jump straight out of bed. Why do they occur? Is it a deficiency in magnesium, calcium or potassium? Could it be your medications or a sign of a deeper problem?

According to recent research, about 1 in every 3 adults is affected by muscle cramps of the lower limbs. In most cases the pain is temporary and goes away on its own. Some people have severe regular cramping that interferes with sleep, daily activities and quality of life.

In a study of 500 people over 60 years old, 31 percent reported being woken up by muscle cramps and 15 percent had cramps more than 3 times each month.