Statins - is it time for an independent review?

[bobaxford]

Brilliant paper which presents a very compelling view on the need for a fully independent review of the benefits of statins. As a patient with atherosclerosis diagnosed 15 years ago and then prescribed statins, following the need for a heart bypass I did my own research and stopped statins 5 years ago.

europeanscientist.com/en/fe...

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

I got concerned about this the moment I saw Dr Aseem Malhotra' s name. He was the cardiologist that came up with the fairly discredited Pioppi diet. It is commented on here:

life.spectator.co.uk/articl...

Maybe a review would be worth doing but I think it would have to be truly independent. Too many critics seem highly active on YouTube, and selling diet and anti-statin books!

[bobaxford in reply to MichaelJH]

Thank you for this and I do not disagree with the critique of the book on the so called Pioppi diet which is essentially saying this is no more than the Mediterranean diet along with lots of exercise, good sleep and less stress which we are all supposed to adopt anyway. So I interpret the critique as saying most of the book is common sense.

I don’t think this negates, however, what also may be concerns that many patients have about statins, how the benefits are misleading promoted and the fact that all the raw data is withheld from independent scrutiny.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to bobaxford]

As said I am not against a review but feel those undertaking it must be truly independent. There are too many statin deniers out there causing alarm and consternation on social media and mainstream media (TV, newspapers) writing rubbish. There was a trial reported in the BMJ where as many on the placebo reported side effects as those on the statin. The internet seemed that it would have great power to do good but it had not really turned out that way! Sad really! ☹️

[bobaxford in reply to MichaelJH]

I would hope that the Chair of the Parliamentary Science and Technology Committee, Sir Norman Lamb MP, would ensure anyone they requested to undertake a review would in fact be totally independent and neither a statin denier nor a statin advocate.

[Ianc2 in reply to bobaxford]

If he can get them to disclose their data it might be a good start - not having much success so far.