Science Forums 2

[Michaelangelica]

The Cholesterol Con -- Where Were the Doctors?

By Maggie Mahar, Health Beat. Posted February 29, 2008.

For years, medical studies have challenged the efficacy of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Why are we just hearing about this now?
. . .
This brings me to the question I ask in my headline: During the many years of the Cholesterol Con, where were the doctors? When everyone from the makers of Mazola Corn Oil to the Popes of Cardiology assured us that virtually anyone could ward off heart disease by lowering their cholesterol, why didn't more of our doctors raise an eyebrow and warn us: "Actually, that's not what the research shows"?

No doubt, you've heard about the recent Business Week cover story, "Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good?", which blew the lid off the theory that "statins" -- drugs like Lipitor, Crestor, Mevacor, Zocor and Pravachol -- can cut the odds that you will die of a heart attack by slowing the production of cholesterol in your body and increasing the liver's ability to remove LDL, or "bad cholesterol," from your blood.
. . .
Dr. Ronald M. Krauss, director of atherosclerosis research at the Oakland Research Institute, told Business Week. "When you look at patients with heart disease, their cholesterol levels are not that [much] higher than those without heart disease," he added. "Compare countries, for example. Spaniards have LDL levels similar to Americans', but less than half the rate of heart disease. The Swiss have even higher cholesterol levels, but their rates of heart disease are also lower. Australian aborigines have low cholesterol but high rates of heart disease."
. . .
And if the key to statins is that they reduce inflammation, it's worth keeping in mind that this is what other effective heart treatments like aspirin and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils, garlic and vitamin E do -- at a much lower cost and with far fewer side effects.
. . .
there does seem to be a risk that women on statins develop memory loss so severe that their relatives may begin shopping for a nursing home.

Memory loss that can mimic alzheimers is the second most common side affect for people taking statins, right after muscle pain,

AlterNet: Health and Wellness: The Cholesterol Con -- Where Were the Doctors?

STATIN SIDE EFFECTS: DO DOCTORS TAKE PATIENTS' COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY? A New Study Reveals What Happens When Patients Complain of Statin Side Effects to Their Doctors.
. . .
The researchers focused on three types of side effects commonly caused by statins. The first type involved muscle pain, tightness, cramping, or weakness. In private consultations, patients described their symptoms to 138 doctors. According to the patients, fifty-three doctors (38%) acknowledged the possibility of statin side effect. Eighty-five doctors (62%) dismissed the possibility.

Patients presented symptoms of cognitive disorders, including impaired memory or thinking, to 56 doctors. Sixteen doctors (29%) acknowledged the possibility of a statin side effect. Forty doctors (71%) dismissed the possibility.

Patients presented symptoms of nerve injuries (neuropathies) including pain, weakness, or loss of function to 49 doctors. Seventeen doctors (35%) acknowledged the possibility of a statin side effect. Thirty-two doctors (65%) dismissed the possibility.

STATIN SIDE EFFECTS: DO DOCTORS TAKE PATIENTS' COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY?

Risk factors for myopathy and rhabdomyolysis with the statins

Four statins (HMG CoA inhibitors) are available in Australia for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia: simvastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin and fluvastatin. Each of the statins may cause myalgia or rhabdomyolysis. Cerivastatin was removed from the market worldwide because of an unacceptably high rate of rhabdomyolysis, including fatal cases, particularly when used with gemfibrozil.1
. . .
ADRAC has received 91 reports of rhabdomyolysis with simvastatin and 26 with atorvastatin, as well as many reports of myalgia, myopathy or creatine kinase (CK) increase.

Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin, Volume 23, Number 1, February 2004

The Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Program (CADRMP) has received reports of rhabdomyolysis or myopathy with all statins approved for sale in Canada (Table 1). In severe cases, rhabdomyolysis can result in kidney failure.8

Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter, Volume 12, Issue 1, January 2002
Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Some of these are harmful to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage.


Statin Drug Danger