Carbohydrate-restricted Diet Is More Effective Than Statins For Children’s Atherosclerosis

Recently, Pfizer was reportedly granted by the European Union to produce chewable form of Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering drug. The chewable Lipitor is for children who are 10 years old and over and have high levels of LDLs and triglycerides, supposedly an inherited disease or familial hypercholesterolemia. [1] In 2002, Pfizer won approval of using Lipitor for children between 10 and 17 who have hypercholesterolemia and high fat levels. In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a clinical report, “Lipid Screening and Cardiovascular Health In Childhood”, to replace the 1998 Policy Statement on cholesterol in childhood. [2] Both the pharmaceutical industry and the medical establishment have orchestrated in making statin drugs the only choice for preventing and treating the pediatric hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. Pharmaceutical companies will stand to gain a huge profit when a majority of the population including adults and children takes statins for the rest of their lives.

Indeed, studies have reported traces of atherosclerotic plaques in children and infants, who were as young as only a few months old. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7] Without a careful examination on all the contributing factors involved, especially the nutritional facts, quickly blaming genetic factors and dietary fats for the epidemic of child obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and atherosclerosis is irresponsible, at least. Thus, to promote statins, based on a knee-jerk reaction, for preventing and treating children’s hypercholesterolemia is even dangerous and absurd! The medical establishment totally ignores the serious adverse effects on the pediatric patients from the statin drugs, and its motive in doing so is suspicious.

More recent studies have begun to recognize that inflammation plays an important role in developing atherosclerosis. In the article, “Inflammation and Atherosclerosis”, its authors pointed out inflammation is involved in all stages of the development of atherosclerosis. Without initiating inflammation in the endothelium (the inner layer of the blood vessel), neither triglyceride nor cholesterol will be deposited onto the vascular wall. The article specifically cites that some statin drugs could reduce the incidence of coronary events by lowering the inflammation level without reducing the level of lipids. Thus, lowering lipids is off the target and at the expense of harming the health by the adverse effects of statin drugs. [8]

The question now should be focused on how inflammation is initiated and/or where it comes from. It is logical that infection and trauma can inflict the tissues including the endothelium for inflammation. However, it is inconceivable that every coronary artery event involves infection and/or trauma. Studies have shown that an increase of blood glucose spontaneously raises the level of inflammation, without provocation, which is positively related to the level of blood glucose, and can be reduced or eased by the use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as Glutathione. [9] The findings underscore the therapeutic effects of anti-inflammatory drugs on preventing coronary events. Furthermore, the level of inflammation by exogenous factors such as infections would be intensified in the presence of hyperglycemia. Logically, keeping a reasonably low and normal level of blood glucose results in a low level of inflammation at all the time. In other words, a stable, reasonably low, normal blood glucose level reduces the risk of developing arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis.

Now, take a look at the nutritional facts of the foods, which the children and infants take every single day. The children’s foods are heavy on carbohydrates from breads, cereals, potatoes, and cookies to ice creams, candies, and juices. Many of these foods contain added sugars including but not limited to high-fructose corn syrup. These added sugars fuel up the carbohydrate foods in raising the levels of children’s blood glucose and inflammation immediately after meal. Sure, many of these children were luckily born with a functional pancreas, which is able to dispose the rising blood glucose and bring its level down to within the normal range. In addition, children and infants have more hormones for growth, which help insulin dispose blood glucose. However, their beta cells still can lose their capability of producing adequate insulin sooner or later as the mass of beta cells repeatedly receives attacks by extraordinary levels of hyperglycemia and inflammation time after time and begins to lose its size.

The infants’ feeding is not much better either. If the infant receives breast-feed from his mother who eats a moderate or lesser amount of carbohydrates, and produces milk, which is moderate or low in glucose, the infant will be healthy with little risk for arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. If the mother eats more carbohydrate especially those high in glycemic index and glycemic load, and produce milk, which is high in glucose, the infant will have higher postprandial blood glucose concentration, and higher risk for arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. If the infant receives baby formula, which is commonly high in added sugars, the infant’s postprandial blood glucose level will rise sharply after feeding. Many parents are naively pleased at the extraordinary growth of their infants. They thought their infants had received ‘excellent nutrition.” But they would be shocked when they realize their infants suffer from obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipiidemia, atherosclerosis, and other diseases. [10, 11]

Based on the knowledge in biochemistry, the amount of consumed carbohydrates positively affects the level of blood glucose. Unequivocally, restricting carbohydrate intake will decrease the risk of arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. For the past five to six decades, the carbohydrate consumption has continued to rapidly increase by both the US and global populations, especially the children including toddlers and infants. To prevent them suffering from obesity, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease and many diseases, and significantly shortening their life expectancy, and to “DO NO HARM” to them at the same time, carbohydrate-restricted diet is more effective than statins for children’s atherosclerosis.

Robert Su, Pharm.B., M.D.

Wish to invite Dr. Su to speak at your meeting, contact us at jevpublishing@verizon.net

References:

1. Catherine Donaldson-Evans. “EU Approves Pfizer Cholesterol Drug for Kids.” News. AOL Health. July 7th, 2010.
2. Daniel SR, et al. “Lipid Screening and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood.” Pediatrics 2008;122;198-208.
3. Tanaka K, Masuda J, Imamura T, Sueishi K, Nakashima T, Sakurai I, Shozawa T, Hosoda Y, Yoshida Y, Nishiyama Y, et al “A nation-wide study of atherosclerosis in infants, children and young adults in Japan.” Atherosclerosis. 1988 Aug;72(2-3):143-56
4. Imakita M, Yutani C, Strong JP, Sakurai I, Sumiyoshi A, Watanabe T, Mitsumata M, Kusumi Y, Katayama S, Mano M, Baba S, Mannami T, Masuda J, Sueishi K, Tanaka K “Second nation-wide study of atherosclerosis in infants, children and young adults in Japan.” Atherosclerosis. 2001 Apr;155(2):487-97
5. Gerald S. Berenson, M.D., Sathanur R. Srinivasan, Ph.D., Weihang Bao, Ph.D., William P. Newman, M.D., Richard E. Tracy, M.D., Ph.D., Wendy A. Wattigney, M.S., for The Bogalusa Heart Study “Association between Multiple Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Atherosclerosis in Children and Young Adults.” New England Journal of Medicine, June 4, 1998, Number 23, Vol. 338:1650-1656
6. osé Milei, MD PhD, Giulia Ottaviani, MD PhD, Anna Maria Lavezzi, MD, Daniel R Grana, VMD, Inés Stella, MD, and Luigi Matturri, MD PhD “Perinatal and infant early atherosclerotic coronary lesions.” Can J Cardiol. 2008 February; 24(2): 137–141.
7. Luigi Matturri, Giulia Ottaviani, and Anna Maria Lavezzi “Early atherosclerotic lesions in infancy: role of parental cigarette smoking.” Virchows Archiv, Volume 447, Number 1 / July, 2005
8. Libby P, Ridker, PM, and Maseri A. “Inflammation and Atherosclerosis.” Circulation. 2002;105:1135.
9. Esposito K. et al. “Plasma glucose concentrations attained during hyperglycemic clamps and after consecutive glucose pulses.” Circulation 2002;106:2067-2072
10. American Heart Association. “Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children.” AHA Scientific Position. Updated:Tue, 1 Jun 2010.
11. Mayo Clinic. “Nutrition for kids: Guidelines for a healthy diet.” Children’s Health.