"A delusion is a false belief held with conviction despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary."

The Cholesterol Delusion

by Ernest N. Curtis M.D. ( Internal Medicine and Cardiology ) A delusion is a false belief held with conviction despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. In the medical field no delusion has had wider acceptance and a longer run than the belief that cholesterol levels in the blood are a major factor in the causation of atherosclerosis and its two chief complications - heart attack and stroke. The supposed benefit provided by statins in reduction of non-fatal heart attacks by a few percentage points is no greater than that achieved with other anti-platelet and/or anti-inflammatory drugs. Therefore I would never subject a patient to the potentially severe side effects of statins in order to achieve a questionable benefit that can be provided by drugs of much lower risk. Read the full 'The Cholesterol Delusion' two part article here: The Cholesterol Delusion - part 1 of 2 The Cholesterol Delusion - part 2 of 2 Dr. Ernest N. Curtis received his B.A. In Biological Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley and his M.D. From the University of California, Irvine. After a Residency in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship in Cardiology, he entered private practice in Long Beach, California where he has practiced for the last 32 years.