| Reader, This may have happened to you…
You walk into your doctor's office for a routine check-up, and you're told your blood pressure is a little high or maybe your triglycerides are creeping up.
Nothing too alarming…
But before you know it, the doctor has prescribed statins… beta-blockers… maybe even a thiazide diuretic.
You've been told that it's "standard of care" and the drugs are "good for your heart."
But there's something else you're not being told… these prescriptions can cause diabetes.
This isn't some fringe theory. Millions of people are being handed prescriptions for drugs that quietly sabotage their blood sugar and push them toward full-blown diabetes.
While these drugs are marketed as "heart-healthy," they wreak havoc on your metabolism.
Cholesterol-busting statins like Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor are Big Pharma's cash cows.
They rake in billions of dollars each year. But they also come with a hidden cost…
A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials published in The Lancet found that statins increase the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes by 9%.1
And a large cohort published study in JAMA Internal Medicine found the risk could be as high as 43%.2
You see, these cholesterol busters deplete your body's levels of CoQ10, impair insulin sensitivity, and damage mitochondria.
All of this contributes to rising blood sugar and metabolic dysfunction – and increases your likelihood of developing diabetes.
Meanwhile, beta blockers block more than just your blood pressure.
Drugs like atenolol and metoprolol are prescribed to lower heart rate and blood pressure.
But they also reduce insulin sensitivity and disrupt glucose metabolism. A major study published in The American Journal of Medicine found that beta-blocker use can increase the risk of new-onset diabetes by a staggering 28%.3
Worse still, beta-blockers can mask symptoms of low blood sugar, making diabetes more dangerous for those who develop it.
And then there's thiazide diuretics, which work by increasing the kidney's normal mechanisms and causes a flood of excess water to be excreted.
These also come with a metabolic price.
Drugs like hydrochlorothiazide and chlorthalidone are handed out as a first-line treatment for hypertension. But according to the large ongoing study, diuretic users have a higher incidence of diabetes.4
Diuretics provide rapid relief for patients with excess fluid.
But along with water, they also cause your body to excrete vitally needed minerals – like potassium and magnesium, which are needed by your pancreas to regulate insulin properly. Protect Your Heart Without Dangerous Drugs The good news is you can protect your heart and your blood sugar without Big Pharma drugs.
Here's what I recommend… - Demand Real Testing. To get a real sense of how your glucose metabolism is functioning, don't settle for just a fasting glucose test. You need full information, so you can take proper preventative action…before it's too late.
Ask your doctor to test for:
- Hemoglobin A1c. This measures average blood sugar levels over 3 months.
- Fasting insulin. This is a powerful early warning for metabolic disease.
- HOMA-IR and C-peptide. These are true indicators of insulin resistance and pancreatic function.
- Rebuild Your Mitochondria. Studies show that Big Pharma's common heart drugs can destroy mitochondria, the tiny power plants within each of your cells. And studies show that mitochondrial dysfunction can also directly impair insulin secretion and cause insulin resistance, playing a significant role in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.5
But you can fight back with:
- CoQ10. This super nutrient is key to delaying or preventing mitochondrial depletion. It restores mitochondrial function, which is essential to your heart's pumping power, and improves insulin sensitivity.6
Supplements can yield immediate benefits. I recommend taking 60 mg of CoQ10 daily. But if you're suffering from a chronic condition, increase the dose to at least 100 mg a day. And make sure it's the potent ubiquinol form.
- D-ribose. This little-known carbohydrate exists in every cell in your body. It boosts the production of ATP, the basic energy units in your mitochondria.7
You can take D-Ribose as a supplement. Start with 5 grams (1 teaspoon), 2-3 times per day. Mix it into water or your favorite beverage. For heart patients or those with a chronic disease, I suggest going up to 15 grams daily.
- Magnesium. Multiple studies show that magnesium keeps insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation running like a well-oiled clock.8
You can boost your magnesium levels by eating more nuts, seeds, dairy products, dark green, leafy vegetables, and cold-water fish. You can also take a supplement. I recommend between 600 mg and 1,000 mg a day to combat insulin resistance.
To Your Good Health, 
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References: - Sattar N, et al. "Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomised statin trials." Lancet. 2010;375(9716):735–742.
- Culver AL, et al. Statin use and risk of diabetes mellitus in postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative." JAMA Intern Med. 2012;172(2):144–152.
- Lindholm LH, et al. "Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes in the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension study (LIFE): a randomised trial against atenolol." Am J Med. 2002;113(6):395–400.
- ALLHAT Officers and Coordinators for the ALLHAT Collaborative Research Group. "Major outcomes in high-risk hypertensive patients randomized to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or calcium channel blocker vs diuretic: The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT)." JAMA. 2002;288(23):2981–2997.
- Rovira-Llopis S, et al. "Mitochondrial dynamics in type 2 diabetes: Pathophysiological implications." Redox Biol. 2017 Apr;11:637-645.
- Rosenfeldt F, et al. "Systematic review of effect of coenzyme Q10 in physical exercise, hypertension and heart failure." Biofactors. 2003;18(1-4):91–100.
- Omran H, et al. "D-ribose improves diastolic function and quality of life in congestive heart failure patients: a prospective feasibility study." Eur J Heart Fail. 2003;5(5):615–619.
- Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ. "Magnesium and Aging." Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2010;8(5):375–382.
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