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A comment on Long-Awaited Study Results on Vitamin D and Fish Oil Supplements. Parent comment

Re:Long-Awaited Study Results on Vitamin D and Fish Oil Supp... by phkahler on Sunday November 11, 2018 @08:12AM (#18426206)
As for the statins... Doc said we had to treat my high cholesterol and triglycerides. I was very reluctant to take statins so she said "OK try red yeast rice for 3 months but if it doesn't improve you're gonna have to take statins". OK. My cholesterol 320->220. My triglycerides 300+ -> 115. It turns out that lovastatin was identified as one of the key molecules in the ancient Chinese remedy.

So that's my one data point, and the only one relevant to me regarding statins.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Long-Awaited Study Results on Vitamin D and Fish Oil Supp... by codewiz on Sunday November 11, 2018 @11:51AM (#18427239)
It's not at all surprising that red yeast rice would be as effective as a prescription drug in lowering triglycerides. In fact, "Some red yeast rice products contain large amounts of monacolin K, which is chemically identical to the active ingredient in the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin." (from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/redyeastrice)

It seems statins have serious side effects such as nerve damage, so perhaps you should go with the exact dosage prescribed by a doctor instead of taking an unknown quantity of the same drug from natural sources.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Long-Awaited Study Results on Vitamin D and Fish Oil Supp... by phkahler on Sunday November 11, 2018 @05:06PM (#18428927)
I got the muscle aches that can come from statins. Lowered my dose and they went away. Thing is, the doc never saw anyone achieve the results I did with the prescription stuff. No need to support a broken patent system and get a doctor and pharma company involved.
[ Parent | on HN ]