Taking Statins? Read This…

If you are a regular reader of The Daily Health this will not be news to you: “Statins data is misleading millions, doctors claim”.

That’s the latest news headline exposing the great cholesterol con.

But it’s not the first time that doctors have spoken out against the over-prescription of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs… or their supposed benefits outweighing the risks of taking these drugs.

In fact, the battle between pro-statin zealots and their opponents has been going on for more than a decade… but now it seems that the medical experts who have been warning against the use of these drugs are beginning to gain ground. And it’s about time!

Millions misled

Earlier this year, we told you about an overview of statin trial data on 100,000 patients, published in the Lancet. This study aimed to “correct the public record” in terms of swaying sceptical GPs who are reluctant to follow the latest statin drug prescription guidelines — handing out these drugs to everyone over the age of 50 irrespective of their heart disease risk factors.

The Lancet overview found that for every 10,000 people taking statins for five years, among those at highest risk, 1,000 serious heart attacks or strokes would be prevented.

Among those at lower risk, which is about two thirds of people taking statins, 500 heart attacks or strokes would be prevented. The researchers also stated that side-effects associated with statin drugs were “rare”.

Now, four medical experts have hit back in an article in the Prescriber journal, saying that “selective reporting… may be overestimating the efficacy and underestimating the side-effects of statins”. They added that full data of all statin trials must be released for wider analysis.

Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist who is lead author of the Prescriber piece, said that the Lancet paper was misleading and nothing more than an attempt to stifle debate.

I couldn’t agree more.

There are countless studies showing that these drugs do far more harm than good. In fact, a study published in March 2013 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers tracked more than 100,000 statin users (a similar amount to that of the recent Lancet review) for nine years. During the study, 17 per cent of the participants reported side effects. That is 17,000 people who developed conditions like type 2 diabetes, kidney damage and dementia. Conditions they did not have to start with.

So much for the side effects associated with statin drugs being “rare”.

If you consider that 7 million Britons are taking statins and if 17 per cent of them suffer from side effects… well… then you have 1.19 million people who have developed new health problems because of these drugs…

And then there is the JUPITER trial — one of the largest statin studies ever conducted. In 2008, the researchers of the study published overwhelmingly positive results on the effects of statin drugs.

However, in 2010, a group of doctors and researchers, led by Dr Michel de Lorgeril from France, stepped forward and accused JUPITER researchers of producing “flawed” trial results and of having commercial interests in the drug tested. It turned out that all these claims were true and, as a result, the JUPITER researchers admitted that the benefits of statins may have been exaggerated.

These are just two examples of studies exposing the controversy surrounding statin drugs… and trust me when I tell you, there are many more. If you want to learn more about the great cholesterol con and why taking statin drugs may do more harm than good, follow this link: www.thecholesteroltruth.com

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Disclaimer: Bear in mind the material contained in this article is provided for information purposes only. We are not addressing anyone’s personal situation. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.

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Sources:

Statins data is misleading millions, doctors claim, published online 25.11.2016, thetimes.co.uk

“Independent Associations Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Cancer Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus” Canadian Medical Association Journal, Vol. 179, No. 5, 8/26/08, cmaj.ca

JUPITER gets a battering, but Ridker fights back, published online 28.06.10, theheart.org