Not content with sixteen billion dollars in yearly sales, the statin industry is aiming to rope in even more patients. According to a recent study (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014; DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.6288), 97 percent of women aged sixty-six to seventy-five and 100 percent of men “qualify” for statins. Healthy adults whose “risk” of heart attack or stroke is more than 7.5 percent should also be on statins. Mining the data from the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Trial (which were collected and analyzed by the pharmaceutical industry alone, with no independent oversight), researchers suggest that taking a statin drug for five years in middle age can lower heart and death risks for “decades afterwards” (www.dailymail.co.uk, November 19, 2014). (The data from the Framingham Trial showed that lowering cholesterol in middle age increases heart disease and overall death risk as we grow older.) Meanwhile, evidence of serious side effects from statins continues to accumulate. A study published in Toxicology (2013 Sept 15;311(3):162-8) found evidence that statins degrade the extracellular matrix of the tendons, leading to tendon rupture. Another (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2013 July 5) found that statins cause disruptions leading to breast cancer. Low blood cholesterol levels are related to slow visuomotor speed in young and middle-aged men, and low serum cholesterol levels predict cognitive decline (Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:291-8). And finally, patients with cancer and other terminal disease saw an overall improvement in the quality of life and lived longer when taken off statins (Proceedings of the American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting). Of course, when a loved one is in the hospital or nursing home for whatever condition, they are automatically put on statins—and it often takes a fight to remove them from the drug regimen. The whole statin phenomenon is snake oil, snake oil that causes serious adverse effects.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Winter 2014
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Just hooked up with a new primary, and she’s pushing for me to take Lipitor, using fear tactics. There is no incentive for doctors to “heal” patients when drug makers pay doctors to get patients on all kinds of drugs even when there is no sign of disease. I’m aware that doctors are attempting to get everyone on statins. I’m anti-drug, anti-vaccine, etc., would like to be anti-doctor one of these days
Doctor yourself. There is no reason to see an allopathic physician. If you feel you need a physician, seek out a doctor of functional medicine or one who practices naturopathy or homeopathy. All allopathy follows the same protocols or get chastised by their colleagues and / or local medical boards.
What’s a good resource for locating allopathic physicians, etc.?
Greed is powerful indeed. Both of my parents took these drugs and both suffered many side effects that their doctors ignored. This led to more meds and early death for both of them. I would estimate that 20 to 30 “additional” health problems were acquired due to these meds and possibly as many as 40. Here is a partial list: Memory loss, muscle pain, low energy, heart arythmia, diabetes 2, Chronic heartburn, cataracts, tendonitis, occasional bowel issues, arthritis, Alzheimers-like symtoms, Lowered immune function, depression, anxiety or aggressiveness.
I was one of those patients who were automatically put on a statin after an ischemic stroke. An 80mg dose, no less. I went to stroke rehab for a month. i recovered, was walking again, I was even tacking up and riding horses again, and felt great! It was short-lived. About 2 months after I was home, I was having joint, muscle and nerve pain. I had been told by two doctors that “I had to take statins for the rest of my life or I would have another stroke and die.” I started researching on my own (this website was very helpful) and decided to quit taking them. Unfortunately, they caused adverse effects that persist today, 2+ years later. I can’t emphasize enough…our bodies NEED cholesterol and these drugs are mycotoxins, poisonous to every cell in our body.
If your cholesterol levels a high what should you be taking to lower your levels ?
Give up red meat & animal fats, I.e. butter, cream & cheese etc.
No…not right. Google Dr. Westman at Duke in NC on low carbs. This way of eating saves lives. He has studied it and put patients on it for decades including my husband who no longer has diabetes….
Don’t listen to Susan. This website has the type of diet you need to be on. Cholesterol is the body’s repair system, if it’s too high that means your body is trying to fix damage. You need to avoid damaging foods like vegetable oil(canola, soy, any oil high in polyunsaturated fats, etc.) Sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Eat plenty of saturated fats, animal products (as raw and high quality as you can manage), fresh and fermented veggies and a controlled amount of fruit.
Agree.
Yes!! We have been fed a bill of goods that doesn’t hold up.
I’ve been reading many books and articles on pros and cons of statins; the cons far out way the pros for most groups of people. Perhaps some benefits for middle-aged men with a history of cardiac disease/MIs.
I have been cajoled into statins twice for a short time with resulting myalgia, sun rash and overall reduction in my wellness.
I am done with that. Its diet and exercise and stress management for me.
My cardiologist really pushes my statin because of a build up in my carotid.
JAMA just came out (vol 328, number 8) with recommendations for everyone over 40 up to 75 should take statins as a preventative measure (thanks US Preventive Services Task Force). They recommend taking it even if you have NO history of cardiovascular disease.