Statin medication, health or money? An interesting article in today's copy of the mail

[sandybrown]

Concerns have been raised that eight of the 12-strong panel recommending widespread use of statins have financial links to the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture them.

Read more: dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

[ursa]

'The group – which includes cardiologists, and senior GPs – is urging the government and the NHS drugs watchdog NICE to halt the plans. They also claim that eight of the 12-strong panel of experts who are drawing up the guidelines have financial links to drugs firms making statins – which stand to make a profit.'

It shows that most medical professionals are against the overuse of statins. So, within the NHS, who is pushing their use? Inept overpaid administrators?

[Hidden in reply to ursa]

The study (since refuted) is financed by the pharmaceutical industry. Nuff said.

[Aliwally]

The wider issues of this have been headline news today haven't they?

I absolutely agree with Dr Clare Gerada and others about withdrawing the proposed NICE guidelines and I've said so on this site.

There are so many issues involved, the main one being that perfectly healthy people at low risk will be taking powerful drugs for the rest of their lives for very little benefit. They might be better off taking a walk round the block each evening instead. Mark Baker, the head of NICE had a very hard time on the " Today" programme trying to explain why NICE made this decision without full access to all the data.

[MikePollard]

It astonishes me that in these days of easy internet research people are still following the same tired old mantra of the lipid hypothesis and still think the way to optimal health is taking powerful invasive drugs that interfere with exquisite bodily processes.

The (not so) side effects are graphically illustrated by the sad stories that appear on this site with monotonous regularity.

It's an absolute disgrace that research into vital issues are drug company supported and if there is any deviation from anything that supports the money train, then the tap will be turned off.

It's the old story. If you want to find the real cause of anything one should always 'follow the money'.

[malcolmp in reply to MikePollard]

I think part of the problem is that a lot of people are fundamentally lazy and don't put any real value on there health until something goes wrong.They think that the wheels have to fall off the wagon before the vehicle needs a service.The nhs being free is in some ways good, but for staying healthy to avoid becoming sick in the first place it is a disaster.because a lot of people don't look at the financial implications of debilitating and chronic sickness .The only people that get rich out of your inaction is the makers of pharmaceutical drugs.

[patch14]

Morning all! I couldn't agree more with the above! It is always the same - what is in it for me money wise. Never mind the poor souls who go through Hell suffering, not with the health problem, but with the medication!!!!! Putting the whole population over 50 on statins is a heck of a lot cheaper than having to throw money at the patients when they come in to A and E with heart attack, stroke or diabetic coma!!!!! The non life threatening side effects, as they so euphemistically call them, are just par for the course! I would like to see some of these people having to cope with the real world whilst being in pain, unable to hardly walk or work, because of the medication that their GP insists on them taking! Good health to you all

[Aliwally]

Actually Patch, I don't think many would come in with heart attacks, strokes etc. Probably more likely to come in with statin side effects.

[ursa]

Aliway, yes heart attacks etc generally get you into the emergency units, we know.

But, the side effects of statins are not always recognised by people as such, hence they are most likely very under reported . It took me a long time to make the connection.