A huge win yesterday (25 June 2024) in the above case against "The Mail on Sunday (Associated Newspapers) and Barney Calman, Health Editor of the Mail on Sunday", which has been on-going for 5 years and (for those not aware) has been over both Dr Kendrick and Zoe Harcombe stepping outside prevailing medical consensus on 'treating' LDL/cholesterol with statins and the fact they cause more harm.
Here is Malcolm Kendricks blog post from yesterday on this:
Step backwards for a moment. Zoë Harcombe and I are suing the Mail on Sunday and Barney Calman for libel. This goes way back to March 2019, yes over five years. The Mail on Sunday published article(s) that we felt were very damaging and defamatory.
In short, we were effectively accused of being liars, and ‘purveyors of misinformation’ about statins (drugs that lower LDL/cholesterol). Because of our lies hundreds of thousands of people had stopped taking statins, resulting in (potentially) many thousands of heart attacks, strokes and deaths. Which, as a doctor, is the worst ‘crime’ it is possible to be accused of.
There was much discussion, in the articles, of this being far worse that the MMR scandal involving Andrew Wakefield. You may remember that he was stuck off as a doctor for his papers and articles on the MMR vaccine. This could obviously have happened to me. If what I did was worse. This threat has hung over me for over five years.
I'll leave you to read the rest, including the full judgement available in the blog post. In the meantime, I would like to add my congratulations and 👏👏👏 to Dr Kendrick and Zoe Harcombe - Well done and keep fighting.
2nd ETA: Just to add, I personally haven't read the article in the Mail on Sunday...but, here's the link which I've now skim-read to increase my understanding of exactly why they sued. 👍
Isn't it. I still haven't read the Mail (or Fail) article properly but, I got the basic gist of what they've been up against...Oh so familiar to most on this forum in relation to how we're treated and dismissed or even cancelled.
Yes, I thought so too. I love it when anyone who goes against the consensus and narrative of misinformation (particularly the arrogance of doctor's and big pharma...💰💰💰) and fights back wins a fight-back like this. I'm now waiting for part 2 and am also curious to see if Dr Aseem Malhotra - also mentioned in the 2019 article but, not one of the litigants suing them - who I know holds similar views on statins will be mentioned.
I was watching a Gp yesterday (on Nick nock) explain that they don’t actually get paid for prescribing certain Statins etc just get points! Qualifying points 🙈 so I’m glad they’ve spoken up.
And mega pay outs for giving jabs so Gp surgery income will have shot up (excuse pun) since Covid, no wonder it was pushed so much. Money first health second, same old sh*te …
I realise everyone has their own opinion and many people are perfectly happy to take statins which is absolutely fine and I know that I am not medically qualified to offer advice but having tried them many, many years ago before they became ‘popular’ I found that after taking them for a week or so unfortunately my muscles were so weak that I could barely walk and I was also terribly depressed. So they are not for me.
I know too (and so did my GP) that when I had Graves disease and my thyroid was extremely overactive my cholesterol levels were the lowest I have ever seen then and as I recovered and my TSH increased so did my cholesterol levels.
Also I have seen the level at which taking statins is recommended drop considerably over the years. As for the pro statin lobby - one day I expect them to claim that statins can raise the dead - not to mention that if the level where statins are advised drops much lower I can see babies being statinated at birth 😉
Thanks for posting this. It gave me a chance to find out some of Kendrick's thinking and download the review article he refers to. My GP - otherwise quite sensible- tries to bring up statins every consult. I just laugh and bat it away. She knows I won't have them but apparently it's part of demonstrating their efficacy and affects their pay grade.
Interesting as my GP says the same at every appointment too. I have repeatedly refused them which she says she has added to my notes. I started T3 last December & told her my cholesterol level should reduce. She disagreed. However I did a test & my level has already improved. She still isn’t convinced as it was a finger prick test. I’m looking forward to proving her wrong at my next blood test.
Ok. Thanks. Mine has been around 7.1-7.9 for years as under medicated. First time testing since starting T3 it’s 5.4 lowest it’s been in years! I’m really pleased but plant sterols may well be adding too.
My GP has been suggesting for years that I should be on a statin. My cholesterol is 5.5. I like to draw their attention to the following jwatch.org/na50908/2020/02/...
Which seems to suggest that with a slightly higher cholesterol level I am likely to live longer. I think there is also a paper suggesting I will live longer with moderate wine consumption 😁
I've told my GP in writing I'll be declining any future lipid blood tests they try and sneak up on me as I see it as a waste of NHS resources. I've no intention of ever taking statins so that blood test is a waste of everyones time and I'm not interested in my GP attempting to make extra cash by prescribing statins.
No but I wanted it in writing on my notes. I have declined cancer screening for years as well. I have signed disclaimers to this effect and dont get reminders now. But not through want of trying from the NHS. Anyone could be forgiven for thinking that they care about our health, bless.
What a coincidence, I'm dealing with this right now. The following is an account of what happened yesterday after my NHS blood test.
Txt from GP -
Dear Mrs xxxx
The bloods suggest your thyroxine dose now is a bit on the high side and that you would benefit from a statin to lower your cardiovascular disease risk. Please discuss these at your upcoming review.
Thanks, Dr xxxxx
Sent from my iPhone
My reply –
Re Message to me dated 26th June 2024
Re – Hashimotos Thyroiditis – and statins
I don’t quite understand your message saying my thyroxine dose is now a bit on the high side and that I would benefit from a statin to lower my cardiovascular disease risk.
I don’t have a cardiovascular disease risk to my knowledge. I looked at my blood tests of yesterday and all my levels appear to be within the NHS guidelines, and have in fact come down since my episode with liver issues last September/October.
I cannot find any research or information which suggests that Levothyroxine will raise cholesterol levels, and that statins should be prescribed to rectify this. In fact there is lots of information which states that statins should not be prescribed to people with under active thyroid, and that treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins.
If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
Thank you for the offer of statins, but I don’t want to risk taking a drug which I probably don’t need and which may cause me more health issues.
Regards
My blood test of 25th June – cholesterol 4.3 (below 5), HDL 1.6 (1.27) LDL 2.5 (Below 4)
I had a txt reply to this email within an hour asking me to ring the surgery. Message from GP via reception, he will leave the statins but needs to discuss my thyroid meds, or words to that effect. An appointment was made for next Friday!! Trying to book an appointment on line gives a four week wait. Moral to this is in order to get an early appointment, send an email first. And how contradictory is that – wanting to lower a medication I do need and prescribing a medication I don’t need! Is there some underground movement to get rid of us all?
I’ve started taking T3 and still working out my optimal doses of T4/T3 with the help of Roseway labs, Paul Robinsons book and the excellent help I get from this forum. May not need T4 eventually but want to keep my options open right now. Gp doesn’t know I’m taking T3 yet, that is another issue, do I fez up or not. I have already lowered my T4 by 25mcg, so if he wants to lower it I’ll go along with that.
yes thats what we should do, i went through all that last year when my gp wanted to reduce my levo back to 75 from 100 just as I was beginning to feel some benefit, we decided on a compromise of 75/100 alternate days, but still didn't help me. It was end of last year when my liver became compromised and no reason was found that I decided to try to get T3. Immediately after only three weeks I was sleeping better and less anxious. I still need more T3 I feel, but going slowly.
It is interesting that your GP suddenly seems in a hurry to see you about something you don’t want to do, but they are never in a hurry if it is something you see as helpful. Probably worth writing a new post asking about telling GP about T3.
Good on you. Stand firm . Do not decrease thyroid meds unless you are unwell on it. And yes there seems to be a directive from government via Dr. Pearce ( ex CEO/ PRESIDENT of BTA) saying that some hypothyroid patients do not need continuous treatment for hypothyroidism disease. Dr.Pearce is running a government endorsed study of getting hypothyroid patients off levothyroxine and T3 !! The new joint consensus ( july 2023) by the BTA basically have written a clause in the guidelines saying that any new GP or endocrinologist who did not first prescribe these meds do not have to honour the prescription if they don't feel comfortable in the understanding of how these meds work. So we could be deprescribed levothyroxine or T3 at anytime because a GP or NHS endocrinologist does not feel comfortable prescribing them for the patient. :/ Do not tell them you have self prescribed T3 - they have been told not to treat you or hypothyroid disease if they find out you are doing this. Things have become very under hand recently in the NHS and ICB . Watch your back. Just do what you've been doing, print off papers and guidelines to and defend your right to be treated for your hypothyroid disease. :/
Four months on from that post on statins. Several weeks ago I had txts from the NHS -
Wed 31st July 2024
Dear xx, xx SURGERY is offering you access to our local NHS health improvement service. Please follow this link nhsconnect.org/i/NW2PQ where you can access your portal and state your preferences in relation to this programme. Please note your NHS number is
Mon 16th September 2024
Dear xx, xx SURGERY is offering you a second opportunity to benefit from this local NHS programme that aims to reduce your risk of heart disease. Please follow this link nhsconnect.org/i/VSED9 where you can state your preferences. Please note, your NHS number is xxx
So despite me having sent an email to the surgery explaining why I didn’t want statins they still put my name forward to take part in this program. I ignored both of these txts. Then three weeks ago I had a phone call from the NHS again inviting me to take part. By this time I was pxxxxd off and explained that I had sent email etc. She was very nice, apologised and said she would contact the surgery and advise them not to contact me again. I have heard nothing more. But this just shows the email I sent has been ignored and probably not even read. I can’t even see it on my medical records. When I have time and energy to spare I will contact the surgery and ask where is the email I sent.
My dearest mum who I miss everyday had a mild heart attack in her late 50s before the heart attack she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and put on levo at the starter dose of 50micro .After the mild heart attack she was diagnosed with angina and put on statins after a number of years on them she started to complain of server muscle pain to the point she would cry when getting out of bed or out of her chair ,I slowly witnessed her decline, both myself and my brother started to notice she was having real trouble with walking and picking things up her coordination was failing.
We took her to the gp who just said it's age 😡 she was 64..then we noticed she develop a dropped foot which the gp said was her a achilles tendon ,4 support boots and a cast later and she still had the drop foot, we managed to get her to Newcastle to a specialist who after a week of gruelling tests diagnosed motor neurone disease he said she in effect had muscle wastage he took her off the statins.
She died 13months later, I totally blame the statins....she never had anything like the muscle pain those statins gave her.
My aunt her sister was also on statins she also started suffering from tremendous muscle pain, after my mother's death my aunt came off the statins it took her a few months but she told me the muscle pain had all but gone.
She informed her gp of this development, he was quite mad she had stopped the statins and urged her to go back on them, she never did...she's 90 next year ❤️
Well done for posting this. I was not aware of this, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.I am heartily glad that they have been successful against the arrogant media, some of whom seem to say much more than they should, particularly including their own biases.
If you want opinions, read a magazine, not a newspaper.
Journalism, in all it's forms containing bias, can be particularly
harmful to individuals, which some journalists and presenters seem to relish.
Sleeze sells papers. The truth doesn't.
Bring back proper journalism, with the facts, the whole facts. Omitting facts, is as bad.
I don't understand where morality went. Anyone seen it?
The fact they do hide in the media is that provision for claims against the NHS increase yearly. In 2022 it was £128 billion. This is on Dr Kendrick’s ‘what went wrong with the NHS part five’. Although it is more than half their budget and increasing they would rather cover it up than listen to patients, make desperately needed changes or improvements that could help patients, save lives and stop the yearly increases in complaints and claims against the NHS.
PRJ20 great news re Malcom Kendrick. I have always listened and learned from him.
My nana was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when her cholesterol levels were raised. This was in the days before statins. and TSH tests. She passed the thyroid disease on to her children and grand daughters! 3 of 5 children hypo and 7 of 11 grand daughters hypo!
When I was first diagnosed hypo the locum ignored the Thyroid results TSH 6.5 and put me on statins for raised cholesterol (mildly raised I should add) Within a week I thought I was going to die. stopped the statins and saw my usual GP who gave me levo instead. I have refused statins ever since but still get offered them. I have tried to educate the medics to no avail. I thank Malcolm Kendrick for saving me from statins. His book explained it all very clearly.
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The new joint consensus ( july 2023) by the BTA basically have written a clause in the guidelines saying that any new GP or endocrinologist who did not first prescribe these meds do not have to honour the prescription if they don't feel comfortable in the understanding of how these meds work. So we could be deprescribed levothyroxine or T3 at anytime because a GP or NHS endocrinologist does not feel comfortable prescribing them for the patient. :/ Do not tell them you have self prescribed T3 - they have been told not to treat you or hypothyroid disease if they find out you are doing this. Things have become very under hand recently in the NHS and ICB . Watch your back. Just do what you've been doing, print off papers and guidelines to and defend your right to be treated for your hypothyroid disease. :/ 
New heart treatment is biggest breakthrough since statins, scientists say
Statins and Malcolm Kendrick's: The Great Cholestrol Con!
