EP313: The Brain and Low Cholesterol

Doctor Warrick Bishop - Heart Health

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients.

This episode discusses a scientific statement from the American Heart Association on the impact of aggressive LDL cholesterol lowering on the risk of dementia and hemorrhagic stroke. The statement finds that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and does not increase the risks of dementia or hemorrhagic stroke.

While some older studies suggested potential cognitive effects, larger and randomized studies do not support this. The risk of hemorrhagic stroke is also small and nonsignificant for those without a history of cerebrovascular disease. The statement concludes that concerns about these risks should not prevent clinicians from treating patients to the recommended LDL cholesterol targets.

Takeaways:

• Heart disease is a major issue in Australia, with many heart attacks potentially preventable through lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
• The podcast aims to educate listeners about blood pressure, weight, cholesterol and their impact on heart health.
• The American Heart Association reviewed studies on the effects of aggressively lowering LDL cholesterol on the brain.
• Lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease according to available data.
• Large observational studies and randomized trials do not show statins or LDL lowering increase risk of cognitive impairment or dementia in the short term.
• Studies found no clear evidence LDL lowering increases risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
• Populations with lifelong low LDL cholesterol do not have higher stroke risk.
• Lower LDL correlates with lower overall and recurrent stroke risk mainly due to reducing ischemic strokes.
• Concerns about hemorrhagic stroke should not deter clinicians from treating patients to LDL guidelines.
• More research is needed on very low LDL's effects and statins' risks in patients with prior brain bleeds.

Australia, like the rest of the western world, has a heart problem.

Over 9 million people around the world die from heart disease every year.

Every 10 minutes, someone in Australia suffers a heart attack. And 21 lives are lost daily because of it.

The devastating fact in all of this is…

Almost every one of those cases could have been prevented.

This podcast is for anyone who wants to improve their health literacy and gain information to help them make the best decisions about their risk of heart attack, their cholesterol, blood pressure, risk of diabetes, weight loss and general health. Join me on my personal mission journey to prevent Heart Attack on a global scale. If you like this podcast, I would be honoured by a 5-star review and appreciate if you let your friends and family know about this podcast; you may even save the life of someone you love!

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Are You at Risk of a Sudden Heart Attack? How Healthy is Your Heart? Really?

Heart disease is the #1 killer in the Western World. In Australia, someone dies every 28 minutes from heart disease. That’s 51 people a day. In the US, someone has a heart attack every 40 SECONDS! Fortunately, many heart attacks are preventable. However, regular exercise and eating healthy are no guarantee you won’t succumb to this silent killer.

• 94% of Australians have at least One Risk Factor for heart disease.
• 59% of Australians have been Touched by heart disease.
• Yet only 3% of Australians have had a Full Heart-Health Assessment in the past 12 months.

Do the free heart check today at www.virtualheartcheck.com.au

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Do You Want to Improve Your Heart’s Health and Reduce Your Risk of Suffering a Heart Attack? Join The Healthy Heart Network For Only $5 Lifetime Access (Valued at over $55)!

The Healthy Heart Network is designed to help members:

• understand the present state of their heart’s health
• recognise their current level of risk of suffering a heart attack
• Learn the positive steps they can take to improve their situation

Visit https://healthyheartnetwork.com/ and click on the JOIN THE FAMILY BUTTON