Poor health is what's thought of immediately when one hears the word cholesterol. Indeed, one does not usually hear the word used, or see it printed, unless it points to yet one other distressing fact -- that high cholesterol is the primary factor for coronary heart disease, and the number one cause of heart attacks[i].
Nevertheless, cholesterol is, in itself, not a unfavourable thing. It is important to understand that cholesterol is crucial in cell membrane formation, hormone control, and nerve insulation. So, cholesterol seriously isn't problematic by itself but it truly is when the quantity of cholesterol is excessive in the bloodstream. For most Americans who talk and examine this topic, the scenario virtually always involves an excessive amount of cholesterol, or the condition generally known as hypercholesterolemia.
When there's a lot of cholesterol in the blood, it cannot easily dissolve, and hence can't effectively be transported to cells by the carrier known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This could cause a build-up of LDL cholesterol (a.k.a. “bad" cholesterol”), and start to interfere with arteries that transport blood to the heart and brain. People are madly looking for methods to cut down the LDL build-up inside their bloodstream because having a lot of stands out as the major cause for the manifestation of strokes and heart attacks.
However, decreasing ldl cholesterol has been fraught with challenges. Yet decreasing or eliminating certain foods from food regimen is really a essential first step for many people, several that suffer from hypercholesterolemia require medical interventions to immediately begin reducing their risk of coronary heart attack or stroke. As such, dozens of cholesterol-reducing statin medicines are presently in the marketplace, and even though some individuals have experienced relief because of their use, you'll find unwanted effects that induce concern, including nausea, diarrhea, muscle tenderness, and elevated liver enzymes[iii]. Unless those individuals are covered by a comprehensive drug plan the out-of-pocket costs are usually incredibly cost prohibitive.
One medicine particularly the medical society is currently scrutinizing despite its alleged role in lowering cholesterol is policosinol which is known as a natural product which has been generating an uncommon amount of consideration. Derived from the wax of sugarcanes and honeybees, policosinol is claimed by several to scale back ldl cholesterol, provide no identified uncomfortable side effects, be safe in high doses, enhance blood flow, reduce platelet clumps, and prevent atherosclerosis (plaque buildup on the artery walls)[iv].
Studies have been performed on policosinol efficiency, and there's some empirical research evidence that supports it as being a high LDL cholesterol treatment. Policosinol has optimistically been determined to work as a promising option by researchers in the University of Bonn in 2002 after reviewing 60 clinical trials that included 3000 patients and thus warrants extra study[v].
Although policosinol seems like a bit of a wonder cure, the voices of the less than enthusiastic caution those poised to purchase the medication in hopes of reducing their cholesterol to approach with caution.
Critics and skeptics alike are fast to show that though policosinol can be described as a natural remedy and has not triggered any negative effects it's not an FDA accepted medicine. As such, it has not been subjected to the rigorous testing that comes with approving a brand new drug, including supervised preclinical trials and standardized testing within successively larger populations of people. The approval from the FDA, though highly valued, is so uncommon that it really is notable to illustrate that merely 1 out of 5000 or .0002 from the applications for brand new medication approval it gets are really approved.
Whether the FDA approval procedure may be the most fitting method to admit drugs into drug plans and whether doctors should be permitted to perscribe non FDA approved drugs with out undue concerns for malpractice law suits are 2 of the other debates that encompass this new medicine. To perscribe a natural remedy similar to policosinol to a patient based off of personal preference or personal testimony seriously is not acceptable and requires extra support even if an MD may have personally benefited from it.
And it's the intersection of those two separate debates -- whether policosinol works or not, and whether or not the FDA approval process is fair or not – that the case, and verdict on policosinol, presently rests. This debate is frustrating to all sides; including patients themselves, who clearly need an actual solution.
As a step in the right way efforts are being made to develop and make sure treatments are safe, absolute and free from uncomfortable side effects, inspite of the frustrations caused with the ongoing debating. Extra research on policosinol will further clarify whether that step needs to be in direction of FDA approval, or towards a warning label.
[v] Source: “Policosinol : scientific pharmacology and therapeutic significance of a novel lipid-decreasing agent”. Gouni-Berthold I, Berthold HK. Am Heart J. 2002 Feb;143(2):356-65.
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About Protica Research
Founded in 2001, Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect (www.profect.com), IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility. One area of specialty is the manufacturing of Medicare-approved, whey liquid protein for immunodeficiency patients.
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