Thank you for reading and leaving an informative comment, particularly about the ads.
I think drugs are meant to address specific health issues that can’t be solved naturally, either because of genetic disorders or other body dysfunctions. Also, because every individual has a different genetic build, and given the body’s complexity, having the same symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean having the same issue. Hence, I think one shouldn’t claim any benefits from a drug in general. These are also why I think it is important to educate people on how these things work so they can understand the details and make better decisions for themselves rather than blindly adhering to the claims in ads.
Indeed, there is no direct evidence that taking statins is healthy for your heart. Instead, the evidence is mainly about statins lowering the amount of plasma LDLs. It should be made clear that risk factors, on their own, are not causes of disease. Rather, risk factors represent an increased chance, but not a certainty, that heart diseases will develop. And high plasma LDLs are evidently a risk factor for heart diseases because they can contribute to plaque formation and reduce the blood flow/increase blood pressure in the specific area, which, consequently, increases the chances of heart exhaustion or oxygen cut-off to the heart. Hence, to say that statins are beneficial for the heart may be an overstatement.
Indeed, we’re still not sure whether lowering LDL is a smart thing to do. However, so far, there is no evidence (at least, none that I’m aware of) of any adverse effects associated with low plasma LDLs. And besides the number, it is speculated that the type of fats we consume may contribute to the tendency of the LDL to form plaques. After all, LDL is made from the lipids, including cholesterols, that we consume. Hence, the lipid components may have affected the LDL’s charge or its structure, thus increasing its predisposition to get attracted and bind to the arterial walls. However, studies like that are hard to conduct. Hence, until we have more evidence, what we can do now is to try to limit the number of LDL particles in our bloodstream.
And I always believe that unless necessary (e.g., for people who have genetic or other conditions that are not naturally amendable), a healthy lifestyle is the best medicine.