meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Sigma Nutrition Radio

#525: Cholesterol-Lowering Medication – Dr. Paddy Barrett

Sigma Nutrition Radio

Danny Lennon

Sigma, Dietetics, Evidencebased, Nutrition, Training, Health & Fitness, Science, Diet, Fitness, Evidence, Bodybuilding, Health

4.8 • 626 Ratings

🗓️ 11 June 2024

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Cholesterol-lowering medications, particularly statins, play a pivotal role in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) concentrations, which are causal markers in atherosclerosis development. The efficacy of these medications is well-documented, with numerous clinical trials demonstrating substantial benefits in reducing cardiovascular events and improving overall mortality rates.

Despite the robust evidence supporting the benefits of cholesterol-lowering medications, there are various misconceptions and misunderstandings regarding their use. One common myth is that these drugs are unnecessary for those without overt cardiovascular symptoms, ignoring the preventative benefits for at-risk individuals.

Concerns about side effects, such as muscle pain, liver damage, and cognitive impairment, are often exaggerated. While side effects are possible, they are typically mild and manageable. Regular monitoring and adjustments by healthcare providers can help mitigate any adverse effects, ensuring that the benefits of reducing LDL-C and apoB far outweigh the risks.

In this episode, preventative cardiologist Dr. Paddy Barrett discusses the different types of lipid-lowering medications, their mechanisms of action, the side effects that may occur, and the misconceptions about the drugs that are unfortunately widespread.

Timestamps:

  • 00:14 Introduction
  • 03:26 Dr. Barrett’s Background
  • 04:50 What is “Lipid Lowering”?
  • 05:30 Overview of Lipids and Atherosclerosis
  • 09:58 Setting Targets for Lipid Levels
  • 15:52 Medications for Lowering LDL and ApoB
  • 20:12 Statins: Types, Effects, and Side Effects
  • 35:38 Addressing Concerns and Misconceptions
  • 42:47 Future of Lipid Lowering Therapies

Links:

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello and welcome to Sigma Nutrition Radio. This is episode 525 of the podcast. My name is Danny Lennon and you're very welcome to the show.

0:24.4

Today we're going to be bringing you another conversation deeply rooted in the field of health

0:28.9

and evidence-based discussions around said topic.

0:33.2

And today I'm going to be talking with Dr. Patty Barrett, who is a preventative cardiologist based in Dublin, Ireland, and has extensive experience in the field with a really impressive background from a range of different positions that not only within Ireland, but abroad as well, having worked for a number of years at the Scripps Translational Science Institute

0:54.9

in California, as well as some time at Columbia University Medical Center in New York,

1:00.6

and a bunch of other things that will be listed in the biography section of the episode page

1:07.6

if you want to go and get more of Dr. Barrett's background. And of course,

1:11.0

we will ask him about some of that as well. But he has been doing some excellent work in the

1:15.7

field of not only treating patients in clinical practice, but now putting out information that is

1:22.5

aimed at helping people from prevention standpoint of succumbing to essentially cardiovascular disease and then

1:29.7

the events that result from that. And so one of the areas that I wanted to really have a focused

1:36.1

episode on for quite a while is looking at lipid lowering medications and not only some of the

1:43.1

effects and success of that, but some of the sometimes

1:46.5

concerns people may have or how it can be best managed within clinical practice and

1:51.4

to put some common questions that you may have around the topic to an expert in the field.

1:56.0

And so what we're going to focus on within this episode is of course different types of lipid lowering medications

2:02.2

why in the first place we want to lower our lipids what the actual process is different drug

2:09.1

classes that may do that looking at different dosage types some of the effects and side effects

2:15.1

of those and then what this might mean for making decisions,

2:18.9

either as a practitioner that is making choices for patients in a clinical position,

2:24.2

or if you want to be an informed patient and are considering going this route or have been

2:29.3

advised by a medical practitioner, and you want to be informed on the topic.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Danny Lennon, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Danny Lennon and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.