Page 68 - Spring2013

Tim’s DVD Reviews

risks. Others with ruptured disks who were told the studies Dr. Kendrick is aware of, people with lower cholesterol die
they would need surgery wisely tried the Gokhale sooner. Among those who have never had a heart attack, statin drugs make
method first and are doing just fine now without no difference in life expectancy. Among those who have had a heart attack,
the surgery. An older man who had walked with life expectancy is possibly increased by a whopping fifteen days.
a cane has retired the cane and gone back to his Barry Groves points out the lack of correlation between cholesterol and
weightlifting routine. Back surgeons everywhere heart attacks in various population groups. All of the experts in this film
are crying, and my thumb is UP. agree that the risks associated with high cholesterol are greatly exagger-
ated at best and statin drugs do nothing good. But despite their impressive
Statin Nation: The Great Cholesterol Cover-Up expertise, they are in the minority in the medical profession.
RETHINK Productions Dr. John Abramson of Harvard Medical School spills a lot of beans
Produced and directed by Justin Smith about what is really going on. Along with the others in the video, he points
out that statin drugs do not reduce mortality, and in the few cases where
Statin drugs make a lot of money for their they do reduce deaths from heart attacks, other causes of death more than
manufacturers. In order for that to happen, ev- obliterate that purported benefit.
eryone needs to believe cholesterol is a big killer. There are studies purporting to show benefits from statins. Statin
Denmark has done its part by implementing a drugs do lower cholesterol. If you have bought into the scam that lower
fat tax on things like butter. Even children are cholesterol is better, then that sounds like a benefit. We are carefully steered
very familiar with the subject of cholesterol, as away from looking at more important results like whether you live longer.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride points out at the Most doctors drink the Kool-Aid along with the rest of us. Why is
start of this film. that? Because they are educated by the drug companies. They will point
In addition to Dr. Campbell-McBride, to studies like the JUPITER study done by pharmaceutical giant Astra-
there are several other doctors with consider- Zeneca on its own drug. Obviously, pharmaceutical companies don’t teach
able expertise on the subject, including Dr. anything about conflict of interest in medical schools. Comedian Stephen
Peter Langsjoen, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, Barry Colbert showed better understanding than the average doctor when he said
Groves, PhD, Dr. Uffe Ravnskov and Dr. John the JUPITER study was a great breakthrough in figuring out how to get
Abramson. This group represents many years people to take drugs who don’t really need them.
of experience, expertise and credentials. They The pharmaceutical industry spends billions bribing Congress to pass
explain why everyone is afraid of having high favorable legislation and bribing doctors to prescribe their drugs. Why?
serum cholesterol. Is it because high cholesterol Because statin drugs make a lot of money. (Did I say that already?) Those
is a painful or uncomfortable condition? No. billions add up to about one percent of their profits. They have more than
Does it result in embarrassing conditions like enough money to do whatever they want. Dr. Abramson referred to it more
your hair falling out or your skin turning purple? than once as organized crime.
No. Do you grow a second head? Well, maybe This video lays out clearly what is going on, not just with statin drugs,
if you live near a nuclear power plant but not but in the medical industry in general. No organized crime syndicate bribed
because of cholesterol. me to put my thumb UP for this one.
Do people take statins because the pills taste
good or make them feel good? I don’t know how
they taste but statin drugs have numerous well-
known unpleasant side effects like muscle pain,
fatigue, memory loss and depression.
Does cholesterol adversely affect your health
in any way? That is where the controversy heats
up, and you have to carefully do your homework
to answer that question correctly. According to
68 Wise Traditions SPRING 2013 SPRING 2013 Wise Traditions