1/11 If you went to a doctor with a broken leg and he started putting a cast on your arm, you’d question it immediately. Yet something similar is happening in how we approach heart disease. /2
2/11 Statins block the mevalonate pathway, a fundamental biological process involved in more than just cholesterol production. This pathway is essential for cellular energy, hormone synthesis, and repair mechanisms. /3
3/11 Disrupting it isn’t a neutral act. It has wide-ranging effects across the body.
Heart disease is not a “cholesterol problem.” It’s a complex, multifactorial condition driven by metabolic dysfunction and chronic stress on the body. /4
Heart disease is not a “cholesterol problem.” It’s a complex, multifactorial condition driven by metabolic dysfunction and chronic stress on the body. /4
4/11 Insulin resistance sits at the center of this. When the body loses the ability to handle glucose properly, it triggers a cascade of damage - higher blood sugar, increased triglycerides, lower HDL, and a pro-inflammatory state that damages blood vessels. /5
5/11 Chronic inflammation is another key driver. Arterial plaques don’t just appear. They form in response to injury and inflammation in the vessel walls. Without addressing the source of that inflammation, we’re only treating symptoms.
/6
/6
6/11 Infections also play a role. Research suggests certain pathogens can contribute to vascular inflammation and plaque instability, adding another layer to the disease process.
High blood pressure places mechanical stress on artery walls, making them more vulnerable /7
High blood pressure places mechanical stress on artery walls, making them more vulnerable /7
7/11 to damage and plaque formation. It’s not just a number, it’s part of the disease mechanism.
Obesity, particularly visceral fat, acts like an endocrine organ. It releases inflammatory signals, worsens insulin resistance, and accelerates cardiovascular risk.
/8
Obesity, particularly visceral fat, acts like an endocrine organ. It releases inflammatory signals, worsens insulin resistance, and accelerates cardiovascular risk.
/8
8/11 When we focus narrowly on lowering cholesterol, we risk missing the bigger picture. The real opportunity lies in addressing root causes: metabolic health, diet quality, physical activity, sleep, and stress. /9
9/11 If the root causes remain - insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, the disease process continues quietly beneath the surface.
The real question isn’t whether a drug can shift a biomarker.
The real question isn’t whether a drug can shift a biomarker.
10/11 It’s whether we’re willing to confront what’s actually driving the disease in the first place.
Until we do that, we’re not treating heart disease, we’re managing its shadow. In nearly two decades of looking closely at statins, I’ve yet to see a single case of CVD
/11
Until we do that, we’re not treating heart disease, we’re managing its shadow. In nearly two decades of looking closely at statins, I’ve yet to see a single case of CVD
/11
11/11 that was truly reversed through drugs.
What I see, time and again, are people reclaiming their health when they address root causes: improving their diet, restoring metabolic balance, moving more, sleeping better, & reducing chronic stress.
That’s where real change happens.
What I see, time and again, are people reclaiming their health when they address root causes: improving their diet, restoring metabolic balance, moving more, sleeping better, & reducing chronic stress.
That’s where real change happens.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
