Dr Eric Berg warns common cholesterol medication could ‘worsen’ heart problems

With over 71.1 million statin prescriptions dispensed in England in 2018, the cholesterol-lowering drugs are an extremely popular option for lowering the risk of heart problems.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) explains that there is “strong evidence” showing that statins can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

However, Dr Eric Berg has warned that the popular medication could surprisingly end up “worsening” heart problems.

While high levels of “bad” cholesterol are usually considered the number one risk factor for heart disease, the doctor shared that there is one biomarker that poses a much greater risk.

Dr Berg explained that insulin resistance can hike your risk of heart disease by a whopping 540 per cent, while “bad” cholesterol only increases this risk by 38 per cent.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Dr Berg said: “This blows me away because I don’t even know if doctors look at insulin resistance as a biomarker or risk factor at all.”

Instead, many practitioners prescribe people at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems statins to target their cholesterol levels.

However, the cholesterol-lowering medication could lay the harmful groundwork for insulin resistance, according to the doctor.

He said: “There are many, many studies showing that when people take statins, they can develop insulin resistance and even diabetes.

“So the very treatment to prevent heart attack could end up worsening a heart attack because of insulin resistance.

“Anything that increases insulin resistance is not a good idea when you are trying to prevent a heart attack.”

Dr Berg explained that you should bring this up with your doctor and “educate” them about this new data.

He added: “Sometimes they are so hyper-focused on ‘bad’ cholesterol, they might not be up to [date] on some of this current data.”

However, many experts like Professor Andrew Krentz, a specialist in cardiometabolic disorders and the Chief Medical Officer at Metadvice, continue to stress that “overwhelming evidence” supports that statins can reduce heart attack risk.

Professor Krentz told Express.co.uk: “In general they are very safe, notwithstanding well-known tolerability issues – predominantly muscle symptoms – which have been extensively researched.”

While studies have linked statins to a higher risk of diabetes and insulin resistance like Dr Berg outlined, the professor explained that this risk is “small” and “greatly outweighed by the benefits of statins”.

NICE explains that it’s down to you and your healthcare professional to discuss whether statins are “the best option” for you.