OMG More Statin Insanity - New Guidelines Want 1/3 of Americans to Take Statins

This is insanity. And it's a conspiracy. You can just smell it .... and it stinks.

The new guidelines are to prescribe statins, even for those without high cholesterol, and go right to the most potent statins. It would put 1/3 of Americans on statins.

- Statins ... known to cause brain fog.
- Statins ... known to cause liver damage.
- Statins ... Lipitor known to cause Diabetes in women.

Boston.com - New Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines Could Double Number of Americans Taking Statins

A long-awaited update to cholesterol treatment recommendations was issued Tuesday, and it could lead to a doubling of the number of Americans taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs from 36 million to 72 million—about 30 percent of US adults.

The new treatment guideline lowers the threshold for those deemed to be at significant risk for having a heart attack or stroke and encourages doctors to treat these patients with statins to prevent cardiovascular disease—even if their cholesterol levels are not elevated. ...

In particular, the guideline urges doctors to use a new assessment tool to determine a patient’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke, one that has not been tested in studies, and to prescribe more potent, higher-dose statins as a first-line treatment while abandoning other cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Zetia (ezetimibe) and Lopid (gemfibrozil) ..

About 50 percent of white men and 60 percent of African-American men in their 50s would now fall in the high-risk category of people who should be treated with statins, as would all men by the time they reach age 70, according to Dr. Roger Blumenthal, director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, who reviewed the guidelines. The vast majority of African-American women in their 60s would too, along with one-third of white women.

ABC Local

The guidelines were issued Tuesday by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Some doctors not involved in writing the guidance worry that it will be tough to understand....

Roughly half the cholesterol panel members have financial ties to makers of heart drugs, but panel leaders said no one with industry connections could vote on the recommendations.

"It is practically impossible to find a large group of outside experts in the field who have no relationships to industry," said Dr. George Mensah of the heart institute. He called the guidelines "a very important step forward" based on solid evidence, and said the public should trust them.

Washington Post - New Guidelines Could Have Far More Americans Taking Statin Drugs

Statins aren’t entirely without risks. Muscle soreness and fatigue are the most common side effects of taking the drugs. Other, less likely, consequences include liver damage, digestive problems, rashes or flushing, elevated blood sugar or Type 2 diabetes, and memory loss. In addition, once a person begins taking statins, he is likely to remain on them for the rest of his life.

Lloyd-Jones, the Northwestern doctor who helped develop the new guidelines, said there’s overwhelming consensus in the medical world that statins are effective and safe. “If these were unsafe drugs, we certainly wouldn’t have put the threshold where we did,” he said.

Sorry Dr. Lloyd-Jones .... I don't believe you at all.

reply to post by FlyersFan


I saw that story in the news and thought the same thing. Everybody I know who are taking Statins have all complained of weakness, fuzzy memory and being dizzy with no notice. I know of a few who stopped taking them because they didn't want to live life that way.

We know that there are more natural ways to lower bad cholesterol, but there are no profits for the Pharma companies by practicing those.

Then again, the CT side of me says that by more people taking these drugs will result in more deaths in the future which would free up a lot of money via MediCare/MedicAid and Social Security within ten years. Could it really be that simple?

reply to post by FlyersFan

.."Even if their cholestrol levels are not elevated"..

There is a saying,don't scratch where it don't itch.That would certainly apply here.In those without elevated cholesterol levels,what would be the point of taking these statins? Seems completely unnnecessary.The less of chemicals folks put into their bodies the better.

reply to post by FlyersFan


This is as surprising as a deodorant manufacturer recommending that everyone use deodorant three times a day. It's not really a conspiracy, just ignore them and cut down on the bacon and eggs in the morning.

Raxoxane
There is a saying,don't scratch where it don't itch.

Yep. If it's not broken, then don't fix it. However, the panel ... most of whom have 'financial interests' in Cholesterol meds ... want more people on them. So the panel is 'scratching the non existent itch'. And a lot of people are going to suffer because of it. IMHO

Raxoxane
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

.."Even if their cholestrol levels are not elevated"..

There is a saying,don't scratch where it don't itch.That would certainly apply here.In those without elevated cholesterol levels,what would be the point of taking these statins? Seems completely unnnecessary.The less of chemicals folks put into their bodies the better.

edit on 13-11-2013 by Raxoxane because: (no reason given)

This. It never makes sense to me when I see 70 and 80 and 90 year olds on statins. Even if they have elevated cholesterol, the levels they have now, won't be a problem for them for 20 more years, so what's the point. I've had many an 80 + year old come in complaining of myalgias and getting more and more pain meds which cause even more problems, such as constipation and sedation. Remove the statin and put on vitamin c and niacin and there you go--no more myalgias.

DJW001
just ignore them and cut down on the bacon and eggs in the morning.

The problem ... lots of doctors follow these guidelines.

What happened to me .. I was going to a primary care physician that I really didn't like at all. My cholesterol was at 250 and she would get in my face and push and push the meds ... and she'd be obnoxious like roll her eyes every time I said 'no'. (my liver numbers are already elevated and bad because of autoimmune drugs, I"m not about to stress the liver more by taking cholesterol meds). So I changed doctors. This one says that the only thing I have is higher cholesterol and that I have no other risk factors so he wouldn't even begin to suggest that I be put on the meds.

And I want to know ... who the heck came up with the 'high cholesterol' number anyways?
What's it based on? Lipitor sales need a hike so they lower the 'high cholesterol' number?
Betchya that's what happens. UGH.

I recently had my new personal physician try to put me on strong blood pressure medication. I don't have high blood pressure. I had 2 other specialists I'm seeing scratching their heads on it. ???
She's not my physician anymore

The Cholesterol panel (who have admitted to having financial interests in pushing the drugs) will increase the number of people with CATARACTS and DIABETES in this country. And a lot of people will be running around with BRAIN FOG. That's what statins cause.

Examiner - Why are more Cataracts Found in People Taking Statins

A recent British study eight weeks ago of more than 2 million patients found that those using statins were significantly more likely to suffer cataracts.The five-year study found that for every 10,000 patients on statins, up to 307 more had cataracts than non-statin users.

Statins Create 60,000 New Diabetics Every Year

FDA New Warning Label for Statins -

Following an internal meeting between the FDA's Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology and Office of New Drugs, the Agency announced it would be requiring additional warning labels for statin drugs. Among them are warnings that statins may increase the risk of:

Liver damage
Memory loss and confusion
Type 2 diabetes
Muscle weakness (for certain statins)

Ironically, while reducing your risk of cardiovascular events and heart disease is the primary motivation for prescribing statins, these drugs can actually increase your risk of heart disease because they deplete your body of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which can lead to heart failure. Statins lower your CoQ10 levels by blocking the pathway involved in cholesterol production -- the same pathway by which Q10 is produced. Statins also reduce the blood cholesterol that transports CoQ10 and other fat-soluble antioxidants..

reply to post by FlyersFan


Keep up the good fight. This stinks. I took myself off Lipitor after a few months against my doctor's advice back around 2005 - took years to get over the "fibromyalgia" (which the good doctor insisted could not possibly be from the statin), and have since developed diabetes 2.

reply to post by soficrow


Web MD - Cholesterol Management

Statins are associated with a few rare, but potentially serious, side effects including:

- Myositis, inflammation of the muscles. The risk of muscle injury increases when certain other medications are taken with statin use. For example, if you take a combination of a statin and a fibrate -- another cholesterol-reducing drug -- the risk of muscle damage increases greatly compared to someone who takes a statin alone.

- Elevated levels of CPK, or creatine kinase, a muscle enzyme that when elevated, can cause muscle pain, mild inflammation, and muscle weakness. This condition, though uncommon, can take a long time to resolve.

- Rhabdomyolysis, extreme muscle inflammation and damage. With this condition, muscles all over the body become painful and weak. The severely damaged muscles release proteins into the blood that collect in the kidneys. The kidneys can become damaged trying to eliminate a large amount of muscle breakdown caused by statin use. This can ultimately lead to kidney failure or even death. Fortunately, rhabdomyolysis is extremely rare. It occurs in less than one in 10,000 people taking statins.

My elderly mother went on Lipitor for a month or so. She had leg cramps so bad that she could barely walk. She said the cramps went 'right to the bone'. The idiot doctor said that it couldn't possibly be the Lipitor because that wasn't one of the side effects listed. She stopped the Lipitor and the leg cramps went away.

TDawgRex
Everybody I know who are taking Statins have all complained of weakness, fuzzy memory and being dizzy with no notice.

I know a people on them, or were on them. All except one of them have said they have fuzzy brains now and/or physical issues like severe muscle cramps, etc etc. The brain fog is what is most alarming to me.

The pushing of Statins is the smartest thing the government has done in a while. Having sheep lost in the fog is good for those at the top. Unruly sheep have to be conditioned by the shepherd or risk the chance of being slaughtered to feed the hunger of the ones in charge.

The science behind statins is sound - there's a rock solid link between elevated cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis.

If you can tolerate the unwanted effects and your overall cholesterol level is ^4mmols/l and/or your LDL level is ^2mmols/l, I would advise you take a statin.

Not only do statins lower overall cholesterol levels they lower LDL ("bad cholesterol") levels and raise HDL ("good cholesterol") levels, and they do it fast.

They also lower triglyceride levels by up to 20% (triglyceride is another important - often forgotten - factor in causing atherosclerosis).

I've no doubt a lot of people in the medical world are on the make, but be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water.

crazy timing for me as i was in to see my family doc about skin ring worm, a fungus not a worm and he again asked me about starting on statin's. i of course said once again for the 10th time no thanks, my family on both sides has zero history of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes whatever else in that mix, zero!

i tried them several years ago briefly, until i realized my soar muscles and memory loss was associated with them. i stopped taking them and both went away. by BP runs 110/70 pulse 70BPM and i'm almost 50 years young so does anyone see a need for someone like me to use these? i know i don't but it bugs why he keeps insisting i use them. he is an otherwise great doctor whom i never had any issue with.

diabetes and cancer are what run in my family, and i take certain herbs for that.

CJCrawley
The science behind statins is sound - there's a rock solid link between elevated cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis.

- The panel wants to give statins to people even without high cholesterol.
- Statins cause liver damage.
- Statins cause cataracts.
- Statins cause type 2 Diabetes.
- Statins cause brain fog.
- Statins cause muscle and kidney damage.

And the number that is supposedly 'high cholesterol' ... who made that up?
Answer ... the doctors with financial ties to the drug companies.

Statins can't be trusted.
MAYBE they could be used in extreme cases for people with heart issues ...
But it is being over prescribed as it is .. and now it will be even more so.

IMHO

Boy does this hit close to home for me...

My husband had (at a surprisingly early age) a 100% blockage of his LAD; he had a major heart attack and had (during emergency catherization) several stents placed. His father, two uncles and a female cousin ALL in their early 50s died of sudden, fatal heart attacks. My husband (who was a Type 2 Diabetic at that time, now insulin dependent Type 1) was put on a "cocktail" of meds (BP lowering meds, though he NEVER had high BP; statins Lipitor and Plavix; daily low dose aspirin; and his two types of insulin). He has an army of little bottles.

Now I recognize that some damage was done to his heart during his HA (he was a Code Blue and was saved by the intervention and talents of a team of nurses, a PA and a very skilled cardiologist at a small regional hospital that kept a Cardiac Cath Lab staffed 24/7) but he has never been the "same" as he was before. He has continual cramping issues in his legs which leads to sleep deprivation which contributes to fatigue and "fuzzy" thinking. Since the initial days of his recovery, I can't help but wonder how all these meds interact with each other and what side effects they have that aren't listed in the accompanying print outs.

I went thru similar thoughts w/my late dad. I would go to the pharmacy and be stunned by the amount of meds he was on and all of the side effects he seemed to have and yet he "kept on" them all.

And as confession is good for the soul (and easy to do anonymously on the web!) my experiences for years w/my dad, coupled with the last 3 1/2 years with my husband, have left me a medical Luddite. I can't/won't bring myself to make even an appointment for a yearly check up (and it's been a number of years!). I don't want pulled into the vortex of "doctoring" and medicating. There. I admitted it.

Glinda
I can't/won't bring myself to make even an appointment for a yearly check up (and it's been a number of years!). I don't want pulled into the vortex of "doctoring" and medicating. There. I admitted it.

Hey .... I admit it as well. I wont take a medication unless it's absolutely necessary - like the Plaquinel that I"m on. I can't function without it. Anything else ... I avoid. I've had so many bad reactions to drugs and mis-diagnosis' that I am at the point of saying ... screw it all. If I die, I die. Life is better on the 'other side' anyways.

FlyersFan

TDawgRex
Everybody I know who are taking Statins have all complained of weakness, fuzzy memory and being dizzy with no notice.

I know a people on them, or were on them. All except one of them have said they have fuzzy brains now and/or physical issues like severe muscle cramps, etc etc. The brain fog is what is most alarming to me.

from what i can best attain from the info i was given is that statins play hell with the brain due to lowering cholesterol in the brain, which is not good, in any case they seemed unneeded for me.

Im fine with that,.
let the lazy take the drugs and become the drones the government, FDA, and Big Pharma wants them to be. Meanwhile those of us that know better, eat healthy and stay fit will be looked at as highly educated. I already see it happening anyway. Every time I drive past a fast food pit or see someone downing a sugary drink or eating a bag of candy, I can see the IQ points dropping.