The Great Cholesterol Con by Malcolm Kendrick Summary
Overview of The Great Cholesterol Con
Dr. Malcolm Kendrick boldly challenges medical orthodoxy, arguing the cholesterol-heart disease link is a dangerous myth perpetuated by pharmaceutical profits. This controversial bestseller has sparked fierce debates among doctors and patients alike - could everything you've been told about heart health be wrong?
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Key takeaways
The Lie That Built a Billion-Dollar Industry
What if everything you believed about heart disease was backwards? For decades, we've been told to fear cholesterol like a ticking time bomb in our bloodstream. We've swallowed statins by the millions, banished butter from our tables, and watched cholesterol numbers with religious fervor. Yet heart disease remains the leading killer in the Western world. Perhaps we've been chasing the wrong villain all along. The evidence suggests we've fallen for one of medicine's most lucrative myths-a story so deeply embedded in our collective consciousness that questioning it feels almost heretical. But when you examine the data with fresh eyes, the official narrative crumbles like a house built on sand. Heart attacks aren't what most people imagine. The deadliest form isn't even a disease of the heart itself, but of the arteries feeding it. These vessels develop fatty buildups called plaques-structures that evolve from harmless streaks in childhood to potentially lethal formations in adulthood. The truly dangerous ones aren't the hard, calcified blockages but the unstable intermediate plaques: cyst-like structures with thin walls surrounding semi-liquid centers. When these rupture, they trigger massive clotting responses that can completely choke off blood supply. The heart muscle downstream suffocates and dies-what doctors call a myocardial infarction. About half of victims die within the first hour, often before help arrives.
When the Simple Story Doesn't Fit the Complex Reality
The Molecule We've Completely Misunderstood
A Hypothesis That Refuses to Die Despite Contradictory Evidence
The Studies That Demolished the Official Story
The Statin Illusion and the Real Culprit Behind Heart Disease
Reclaiming Your Heart Through What Actually Matters
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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