Statins: Dr. Briffa's latest post... - Cholesterol Support

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Statins

MikePollard profile image
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Dr. Briffa's latest post includes the protest against the expansion of statin prescription:

drbriffa.com/2014/06/18/pro...

This has been in the news recently, but for me this is the most telling part of the post:

Here’s a quote from one of the letter’s signatories Dr David Newman, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of clinical research at Mount Sinai School of medicine in New York:

I am always embarrassed when I have to tell patients that our treatment guidelines were written by a panel filled with people who stood to gain financially from their decisions. The UK certainly appears to be no different to that of the United States. The truth is for most people at low risk of cardiovascular disease a statin will give them diabetes as often as it will prevent a non fatal heart attack—and they won’t live any longer taking the pill. That’s not what patients are looking for.

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MikePollard profile image
MikePollard
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kentishmagic profile image
kentishmagic

I am new to this site so hope Im doing things right here. I am a 70 yr old woman whos been in good health for most of my life ( apart from having an under active thyroid thats been under control for 40 years) I was put on statins about 4 years ago though I've never had any type of heart problems but they said my collestral was raised, since being on them I've developed diabetes type 2 gained about 3 stone in weight and now being treated for osteo arthritis, I get muscle cramps dizzyness/falls and am losing my hair a lot. I have stopped taking the statins and feel so much better and less aching muscles and joints. I just hope my hair re grows .

ursa profile image
ursa

I think that it is absolutely wrong to prescribe so called 'preventative' drugs like statins to health individuals, regardless of their cholesterol levels.

All statins are inhibitors, i.e they stop one's body from producing statins to some extent. They are a very potent drugs, and the side effects are just now being reported more and more.

Those that issued the guidelines to GP's to lower EVERYBODY'S cholesterol to a very low points are the irresponsible ones, not the patients refusing to take them and those that raise their objections regarding their safety and effectiveness.

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