Dr. Aseem Malhotra is my hero. I have listened to him in interviews and he is well spoken and genuine. He cares about his patients enough to delve into the science. That is why he has come full circle from enthusiastically prescribing statins whilest tauting their health benefits to letting the most at-risk patient know that taking a stain will only prolong the life of 1 in every 83 patients. This is hardly a benefit worth discussing. The fact that he was reprimanded in the company of Zoe Harcombe and Malcolm Kendrick only elevates his position further.

Schopenhauer said: "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." Nowhere has this been more clearly evidenced than with the lipid hypothesis of CVD and the promulgation of statins for darn near everybody in the face of very little hard evidence that they do any good for most people (outside a small benefit to men under age 65 who have had a documented cardiac event). And in the face of a lot of evidence that they have the potential to do harm to a significant number of people.

When Mike and I wrote Protein Power in 1996 (and the LifePlan in 2000) and made the case that fat was not the enemy, the world was at the first of Schopenhauer's stages. The idea was ridiculed. But it was clear to us that our patients on lower carb nutrition (even though they were eating substantial amounts of cholesterol and animal fat) were healing their ravaged metabolic machinery, lowering their TGs, raising their HDLs, usually lowering TC and LDL (though not always the latter),  losing weight, resolving GERD and sleep apnea, and generally getting well. So we persisted in doing what our own lyin' eyes told us was working for our patients despite the countervailing medical wisdom. 

In more recent years and up to the present, those of us who held firm to the belief that CVD wasn't about the fat, the sat fat, the dietary cholesterol, or in fact wasn't even probably related to the cholesterol level at all, have been suffering through the second phase. And the ever stronger push to recommend statins for an ever widening demographic of patients took hold. People espousing anything other than the lipid hypothesis party line and the obligation to prescribe statins (for ever lower cholesterol and LDL numbers) were roundly vilified and decried. I can say with pride that I have never written a prescription for any statin of any sort ever.

And, as the quick and vicious attack on Dr. Malhotra's BMJ editorial attests, we're not out of the second phase woods yet. 

Thankfully, though, there are hopeful glimmers (and lots of favorable research) that suggest the door to the third phase may be cracking open. It can't come too soon!

Are we permitted to hold a light weight during pistols? e.g. 5lb or 10lb KB

Halloween fun at CrossFit Hardcore East in Boca Raton!
https://www.facebook.com/715797202/posts/10157134347677203?sfns=mo

Frankly, I'm surprised that anyone paying attention to the world is surprised by this. :) 

Beautiful painting.  1640 and the technology at the basic farm hasn’t changed one bit, simple cart, hand tools, groups of friends getting it done.  Always feels right at the end of the day.  

Warmup to Greg's WOD:
21-15-9
KB swings, 53#
push-ups
GHD sit-ups
hip extensions
9:53

Workout of the day:
Eat as little candy as possible in 24 hrs. Start with moderate pace but try to reduce intake to zero as quickly as possible. 

Stations reduce LDL and Triglycerides as well as reducing arterial inflammation. Statins also increase HDL.  The major source of arterial sclerosis is plaque buildup. Plaques is formed from calcium, some types of fat, and yes, cholesterol. Medical providers do need to prescribe based on family genetics/history and patient labs. Providers, in my opinion, should not prescribe by casting a wide net or based on diet habits. In many cases, LDL can be reduced through endurance exercise such as cycling or running several miles 3-5 times a week. To say that statins are “bad” or not useful based on the data provided in this article is skewed at best and appears to be driven by a big pharma is bad narrative. Most CrossFit athletes are trusting in the validity and objectivity of your scientific reporting, which in this case is only half of the story.

This article just shows how confusing it is for any lay person to make an informed decision about any medication let alone statins!  
Does cholesterol really matter in predicting cardiovascular disease?  If an individual has Familial hypercholesterolemia should they be worried or is it just their natural state, especially if their HDL levels are high?  If my doctor recommends statins is he/she using the best research?  Most of them use commercial databases to provide information, which is probably funded by medical companies.  CoQ10 has been shown to be most beneficial when used in conjunction with statins but the evidence is still limited.  Fish oil and high fibre diets have shown some good results, but now this evidence is also being questioned.  
Seems like you're better doing nothing than anything - apart from eating a no/low processed food diet and getting regular exercise.

I couldn’t agree more with this article. If you’re on a statin because you’ve had a heart attack or stroke the doctors should tell you to take the active form of CoQ10.