Donald Trump's physician provided the president with a clean bill of health in April, stating that his high cholesterol was "well controlled" through a regimen including rosuvastatin and ezetimibe. Rosuvastatin, marketed as Crestor, is a common statin medication aimed at reducing cholesterol levels and mitigating the risk of associated heart problems. White House reports indicate that Trump, aged 79, has been taking rosuvastatin since at least 2016, with his dosage reportedly increased from 10 to 40 milligrams, the maximum available dose, in February 2019. Despite this, Trump's medical team has never reported him experiencing side effects from the drug.

However, the experience of a much younger individual, Harvard University metabolism researcher Nick Norwitz, 30, with the same medication, rosuvastatin, presented a stark contrast. Norwitz embarked on a six-week experiment, taking 20 milligrams of rosuvastatin daily to monitor its impact on his own cholesterol levels. Mere weeks into this investigation, he began to experience alarming symptoms, specifically cramping pain in both calves, making workouts uncomfortable. Blood tests also revealed a rise in biomarkers for muscle damage, leading his doctor to indicate that they would have suggested stopping the medication if the experiment hadn't concluded.

Norwitz's decision to undertake this experiment stemmed from his naturally high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, reaching 400 milligrams per deciliter—four times the recommended guidance. This condition is linked to his low-carb ketogenic diet, which he follows for ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. This diet, high in fats and protein, but low in carbohydrates, can elevate cholesterol as it shifts the body's primary fuel source from glucose to fat.

Interestingly, Norwitz compared the effects of rosuvastatin to an unconventional dietary experiment: consuming 12 Oreos daily for two weeks. While rosuvastatin led to a 32 percent reduction in his cholesterol levels, the Oreo diet, by prompting his body to burn glucose again, resulted in a more significant 71 percent drop. This experiment highlighted the complex interplay between diet, metabolism, and medication in managing cholesterol.

Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs globally, with over 200 million people taking them. High cholesterol poses a serious health risk, contributing to plaque buildup in arteries, which restricts blood flow and increases the risk of blockages, heart attacks, or strokes. Yet, these medications are not without their potential drawbacks. Common side effects, affecting approximately one in 100 patients, include joint pain, muscle cramps, headaches, nausea, stomach pain, and constipation. Patients frequently share experiences on online forums, describing severe fatigue and muscle soreness after starting statins.

More rare, but serious, complications can arise, such as rhabdomyolysis, a condition characterized by severe unexplained muscle damage, pain, tenderness, weakness, or cramps, often accompanied by shortness of breath, weight loss, and skin rash. In extreme cases, this condition can lead to muscle wasting. Doctors postulate that statins may induce muscle damage by affecting the mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles within cells. One severe case involved a 63-year-old South Carolina woman who, after a year on rosuvastatin, developed life-threatening leg swelling, soreness, and weakness, leading to a fall. Hospital tests strongly indicated the muscle damage was a direct result of the medication.

While Trump's medical team has not reported similar side effects, Norwitz refrained from commenting on whether the president might experience them, noting their "very different risk profiles." Coincidentally, in July, it was revealed that President Trump suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where veins struggle to pump blood back to the heart, leading to blood pooling in the legs and causing swelling in the legs and ankles.

This information fuels a broader debate among medical professionals regarding statin use. Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist and former adviser to the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement, has controversially alleged that statins might be doing "more harm than good." Malhotra points to common side effects like fatigue and brain fog, especially in older patients, and cites research suggesting statins can cause ankle swelling. He claims to have raised these concerns with two unnamed Trump cabinet ministers. However, his anti-statin stance has garnered criticism. In response to Malhotra's comments, White House spokesman Kush Desai vehemently defended the president's health, dismissing Malhotra as a "foreign medical expert" pitching "idiotic hot takes" to "Fake News outlets."