The term “Big Pharma” crops up regularly. It is very much a conspiracy theory much like “The moon landing was filmed in the Nevada desert” or “Prince Philip planned the death of Princess Diana”. For some reason many believe that pharmaceutical companies in league with the medical profession operate in some sinister manner and against the public good! With the advent of social media conspiracy theories gain traction faster than ever.
A good example is the negativity against statins. Whilst I will agree they have been over prescribed mainly for healthy middle aged and above people with no real cholesterol problem they have many benefits. These include lowering cholesterol (this may not occur in a minority of individuals), stabilising existing plaque and reducing irritation (often a precursor to plaque formation). Since their introduction the average age of patients undergoing a heart bypass has increased by a decade. Side effects have been reported so often in the media that many people prescribed statins report problems almost straight away. The problem is so bad that when a trial was carried out the percentage taking a placebo and reporting muscle aches was similar to those taking a statin. This is because people have virtually been programmed to believe they will get muscle problems. For those that genuinely do often a change of statin cures the problem.
Big Pharma is also quoted for supplements and/or extreme diets claimed to benefit heart disease when the results are queried. Drug testing/trials have come a long way since the days of Thalidomide and smoking beagles! These are often presented as facts despite a lack of rigor in the analysis of results – often by internet quacks!
Written by
MichaelJH
Heart Star
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Well said. I personally don't understand why someone joins the BHF site purely to denigrate all the BHF/NHS recommends. Certainly other view points, thoughts, ideas etc are very very welcome but some posts go beyond this. When I see people saying they would like to have contributed to a post but other "comments" have put them off then surely the site is not a safe place any more???
I personally am grateful to ‘Big pharma’ for researching and developing the drugs that continue to keep me alive! As an aside I was a patient expert on one of the NICE Scientific committees reviewing a new drug that a company was wanting to bring to market. It was the first pre-meeting and I can say that it was a robust and rigorous process. I feel happy that the analysis can stand up to intense scrutiny.
I am also one of those people who have hideous side effects and allergies to a variety of drugs including statins so again I am grateful that I have found a final statin that I am tolerating.
I think we are lucky in this country that we have such good regulatory organisations.
Oh my that's awful. It is the express.co.uk though & very little of what they publish is true, though just to be on the safe side I'll avoid those brands!!
I am extremely grateful to the drug companies for saving my life.
I met a medical journalist a good few years ago and we talked about "Big Pharma". He said that they want people to be on drugs for life as opposed to curing them. So, we have statins and beta blockers, etc. but nothing to clear out the arteries. Chelation therapy strips out the arteries but is not available as a treatment on the NHS for heart disease as it has never been tested for that purpose, it is used for heavy meatal poisoning. If you can afford it there are clinics that do it. Why not develop tablets/medicines that do the same job? Because their profitability would be short lived. That is my problem with "Big Pharma".
Jimmy there is a major "Catch 22" here. In the process you would like to see the danger is that stable plaque would become unstable potentially resulting in a blockage in the heart/brain/lungs. Even if the plaque was cleared many would still need a statin to prevent a reoccurence. Not easy is it!
Not easy but Chelation Therapy manages it. I used to take a medicine called Orachel which was "Oral Chelation". I was paying for it myself but had to give it up due to strained finances. It might be the reason for the length of time between my bypasses and the occlusion. I have no proof either way.
I like to think I can keep an open mind. I'm certainly not against "big pharma" per se. But they are private companies with all the drivers that entails. For a large part their ethos may coincide with the public good, but it's not something we should take totally for granted. I agree with Zena that a strong regulatory framework is essential.
As for statins, a lot of the people who are most ferociously opposed don't understand that when you have heart disease you sometimes have to put up with the side effects for the greater benefits the drugs bring.
Think you already posted this or something similar a couple of weeks ago 🤔. Statins and fake news? Just wondered why bring it up again as so many get annoyed/ upset with comments etc. Best let sleeping dogs lie, as the saying goes ☺️
Basically a post suggested Big Pharma was trolling this forum when in reality the opposite has occured much of this week! Many of us might not be here without statins, beta blockers and other drugs so why bite the hand that treats you?
Each to their own I guess. We all need to make our own decisions and advocate for ourselves. “ why” will always be the biggest question from both sides probably.
Thank you Sillyfroggy - a well argued and reasoned post. I was working for ICI when they launched Atenolol and behind it there was massive research, development and testing as there had been with a predecessor propranolol. These helped to establish receptor theory among scientists and pharmaceutical companies. I will accept that they made errors other areas such as the "smoking beagles" saga the same year. The intention had been to develop ASM (alternative smoking material) to reduce the ever increasing cases of smoking associated cancers. BTW I did not work for the Pharmaceuticals division but for the Plastics division.
Yes honest - When they started production they had to make a number of props and the falcon was built in a building that was used back in the 1920-30s as an airship hanger, LucasFIlms took a lease on the building to start making these props in relative secret - West Wales was my home territory, so I'd agree that Pembroke Dock was a pretty good place to do something away from prying eyes
I know this is a dumb question but if you knew me you would know I really do ask a lot of dumb questions!! Where bouts its Pembroke docks? We stayed in New Port, Pembs, was it anywhere near there?
It is Lezzers and there is a lot of Welsh spoken that side of Wales and the North. Not half as much in South East Wales, where I am. Unfortunately, Welsh is a very hard Language to learn. I dropped it in School and took Shorthand and Typing instead. Shame on me!!
We met a lovely lady, retired school teacher, who lived in a cottage just down from where we were staying. Spoke to her every day on our daily walks & she said she grew herbs & unusual plants, so on our last day we bought some from her. A few journeys later we saw the "unusual" plant growing on the side of the motorway and there was a lot of it!! we only had a small garden!!! 😱
Just googled it (I know, never Google 😂) and it's garlic mustard so you're both right. Apparently it's thought the name Jack by the hedge stems from the slang "Jack's" for toilet due to its smell....who'd have thought it!!!
Well good on you Lezzers lol. I've got piles of it in the bedroom mind. It can stay there as well. It's got no chance today I can tell you ha ha!! Might think about it Thursday or Friday maybe!!😊😊
I agree with much of what you say, with the exception of your statement that it is not helpful for people to post what has worked for them in some cases, essentially stating that it is unhelpful for someone to post what has worked for them if it is not advocated by the mainstream. As you correctly state, no cure has been found for heart disease, which I think is all the more reason for one to state what has worked for them even if it's not endorsed by the masses. I like having the opportunity to hear what may have been working for someone and considering what they say. Although I may conclude that what works for them may not be a strategy that I would implement for myself, the fact that a cure for heart disease has not been found encourages me to keep an open mind and continue searching for answers and knowledge that I may find helpful in combatting my own heart disease. Simply because what someone states happens to work for them is not endorsed by the mainstream should not be the sole reason for dismissing it. The fact that we have no cure for heart disease is reason enough to consider what others say has worked for them. We can always dismiss what they have to say if we disagree and do not find what they say plausible, however in my opinion keeping an open mind is the key to gaining knowledge that may help us to find new strategies we can implement into our lives to combat our heart disease.
Well said. I went from 0 tablets a day to 9 and would prefer to return to 0 but I am grateful every time I take them for the research that has gone into them; the rigorous testing and our free N.H.S.
I think it is always wise to be sceptical of the claims and the products of the small number of multinational drug companies that control pharmaceutical production and to a large degree medical research - thanks to Universities being heavily reliant on private funding for research now.
Multinational Pharmaceutical corporations are in the business of generating profits before any other aims, the same as all big corporations. Over the years there have been enough issues relating to the prevention of release of full drug trial information from these companies to raise serious concerns. This I believe is the case with statins, which if they are as harmless and useful as is made out would make it very odd that full research/trial information has apparently been withheld.
There is also the issue that research into drugs or treatments that may save lives or improve quality of life will only be carried out by drug companies if it is likely to provide profits.
I know I may be old fashioned but I would be far happier if 'Not for profit' organisations ran pharmaceutical production and research to improve peoples lives rather than multinationals.
The BHF is the largest independent funder of research into Cardiovascular disease in the UK
There is also the Medical research council and the National Institute of Health Research.
The Health Research Authority are proposing that all research is registered and all results published perhaps add your comments to their public consultation that is taking place?
Not sure how true this is as apparently a lot of the drug research carried out by drug companies is actually carried out at universities who now have to rely on big pharma to fund them. I suppose I'm an idealist who feels that the profit motive has led to the bloody awful mess society and the world is in today.
I was going to reply but on second thoughts have cancelled it, didn't want to be to rude to your analysis, oh you don't have an analysis just a comment !!!
Thank you, excellently put, I particularity agree with your comments about "our previous lifestyles have taken us to where we are today". While that is not the case for everyone it is for a lot of us, me included, and I'm fully excepting that I've got to this position via my own devices, and have listened to the doctors, nurses, rehab staff et al and am doing everything I can to mitigate the damage caused by that lifestyle, and that includes gratefully accepting any medication that big pharma can provide
Wow! I can't believe the timing of this post. I was going to create a post to express my concerns.
Firstly I would like to point out that I have absolutely no problem with taking prescription drugs. Three years ago after my quad bypass I left hospital with a bag full of pills and a new chance in life. Within the first six months i was feeling great that my recovery was on track and I had even resumed running. I had commented to my GP that my skin burnt in anything more than moonlight so he took me off Amiodarone . (apparently it was a side effect). As my fitness improved, although I was genuinely thankful I was also plagued with lots of niggling pains. Cramp in my lower legs was common as was a shake in my upper right thigh. Although I didn't chase the doctor I did mention it when I went in for routine checks at first but when the problems became more prolific I decided to address the matter. I had complained of cramp in my legs, Stomach and back muscles. I had complained of a tearing sensation when stretching my fingers. I had complained of dark urine and (lets just say poor bowel movements). For the last three years I've avoided Dr google but I've come to the end of my tether. The last three months I've suffered so much pain in my knees and upper legs I've seriously considered quitting all meds. My GP has sat and listened every few weeks to me whine about this.I have even asked the question "could it be my meds?" One Doctor prescribed me Ibrufen ( a big no no apparently whilst on heart meds) and the other has told me to use ibrufen gel but it made no improvement whatsoever. The long winded point I'm making here is, although ALL the complaints I've approached the doctor with point to the side effects of statins but not once did they mention it. While getting a repeat prescription last week I asked the pharmacist if any of my meds could be causing the pains? like a practiced choir several members chirped up together "Statins". I have taken myself off the 40mg of Atorvastatin last Thursday out of sheer desperation so I'll see what happens.
Since I've crumbled to google I've also read that Doctors surgeries get a financial incentive to prescribe Statins! (i'll leave that to your own research)
I can't thank the surgeons and staff enough at the hospital for their care, but sadly I feel my GP practice is not geared up for after heart surgery or they are just pushing their own agenda.
I know your original post was serious, and I appreciate that, but I've got to say I received my dose of humor therapy reading this thread. Y'all are funny, I appreciate the laughs! Catspiracy, indeed! 😂
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Alternatives to Statins
Reducing statin dose & CoQ10
