A documentary by Justin Smith
Statin
Nation
Does cholesterol really cause heart disease? Statin Nation was the first film, released in 2012, to put the cholesterol hypothesis and statin drugs under the microscope.
Important points raised in the film
- 01People with high cholesterol tend to live longer.
- 02People with heart disease are more likely to have low levels of “bad” cholesterol.
- 03Cholesterol-lowering at a population level does not reduce the rate of heart disease.
- 04Statins have serious insidious adverse effects.
The wonder drug question
For decades we have been told that cholesterol causes heart disease, and that saturated fat in the diet drives it. Statins (marketed as wonder drugs) became among the most prescribed medicines in the world.
Statin Nation argues that for most people taking them, statins do not extend life expectancy, and asks whether the pharmaceutical and food industries have distorted the science for profit.
The film also asks the bigger question: has the obsession with cholesterol distracted us from tackling the real causes of heart disease?
Watch the film
Free on YouTube
A clip from the film
On YouTube
Continue the story in Statin Nation II, or read the book.
The Book
Statin Nation
The Ill-Founded War on Cholesterol, What Really Causes Heart Disease, and the Truth About the Most Overprescribed Drugs in the World
Contains elements from both Statin Nation documentaries, with a practical, nutrition and lifestyle based plan for preventing heart disease. Published in the United States and translated into German.
“A complete and authoritative explanation of the causes of heart disease.”