Confessions of the Statin Drugs
Well, “someone” (big media) finally asked the obvious question “what is going on with these statin drugs?”
For those of you who have worked with me, you already know that I have some ideas about cholesterol, heart health and statin drugs that vary from the conventional “party line.” I have worked diligently in my practice to offer alternative ways of thinking about cardiovascular health, cholesterol and healthier ways of reducing cholesterol, when necessary.
Why? There have been some serious health risks, documented by the drug manufacturers themselves, in association with the use of these drugs. Additionally, there are many people taking these drugs that suffer significant reduction in quality of life upon taking the statins. Further, so far no one has been able to present compelling evidence that these drugs are really doing anything very useful for those that are willing to take on the health risks and quality of life challenges that go along with taking these drugs.
Business Week magazine just published an eye-opening article on that very issue. And as one person put it to me “you will be very happy to read this.”
The news is a great disappointment to those that were taking these drugs in hopes of achieving some miraculous reduction in their risk of a dangerous cardiovascular event. On the other hand, it is encouraging to those that always suspected that perhaps there could be something else, something more, something safer, on that health horizon for them. It gives us all the renewed confidence to do our own thinking on this topic, to listen to our “gut” on this issue, and to think twice before taking something that may do more harm than good.
Most of the people that I work with know that there are serious concerns over the statin drugs, but at the same time they are also afraid to go against the conventional recommendation that these drugs are going to save them from a heart attack. It has been a struggle, emotionally, to doubt that these drugs will actually deliver on that front. On one hand it feels like a risk to take them and on the other hand it feels like a risk not to take them.
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The following is a very informative review of statin articles in relation to women.
March 27, 2009 - 7:19amTitle: Evidence for Caution: Women and Statin Use by Harriet Rosenberg and Danielle Allard http://www.whpapsf.ca/pdf/statinsEvidenceCaution.pdf
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The link in the preceding comment appears to be wrong. It should be:
April 5, 2009 - 12:17amwww.whp-apsf.ca/pdf/statinsEvidenceCaution.pdf