In the new issue of Newsweek, Dr. Steven Nissen, chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic told the magazine when asked about the role of STRESS and heart attacks:

“Most of us do not think it is terribly relevant,” and explained this with a shocking lack of logical thinking: Newsweek writes, “After all, he notes, “many people in this world have stressful jobs,” and they don’t all die of of heart attacks.

Time Magazine named Dr. Nissen one of the 100 Most Influential People In The World in their “Scientists and Thinkers” section.

Think about that.

Now, consider the completely illogical statement from Dr. Nissen bolded above. One thing should be made perfectly clear in light of this statement: He believes cholesterol as very relevant to heart attack risk. Yet, to turn his Newsweek comments around, “many people in this world have **high cholesterol**” and they don’t all die of heart attacks.

In fact, study after study shows countries with the highest rates of fat intake and the highest average cholesterol rates have the lowest incidence of heart disease. Imagine that!

Dr. Nissen’s irresponsible and illogical comments in Newsweek shows – again – the complete bamboozlement the cholesterol hypothesis has on western medicine just because, “everyone knows,” high cholesterol causes Coronary Heart Disease. How do they know this? “Because everyone knows.” Ad nauseum. With a little research, the facts show this is simply not true.

What Dr. Nissen said about stress can be said about high cholesterol. Plenty of people live with both without having heart attacks.

Maybe Mr. Russert’s death can help in bringing us back to real science as opposed to what Big Pharma dictates as what is science – and what is not.

Follow the money.