Benefits of Statins Called Info Question

[live love laugh]

Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the research questions the efficacy of statins when prescribed with the aim of lowering LDL-C and therefore reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Previous research has suggested that using statins to lower LDL-C positively affects health outcomes, and this is reflected in the various iterations of expert guidelines for the prevention of CVD. Statins are now commonly prescribed by doctors, with one third of Irish adults over the age of 50 taking statins, according to previous research.

The new findings contradict this theory, finding that this relationship was not as strong as previously thought.Instead, the research demonstrates that lowering LDL-C using statins had an inconsistent and inconclusive impact on CVD outcomes such as myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and all-cause mortality. In addition, it indicates that the overall benefit of taking statins may be small and will vary depending on an individual’s personal risk factors.

The researchers go on to suggest that this updated information should be communicated to patients through informed clinical decision-making and updated clinical guidelines and policy.



https://scitechdaily.com/benefits-of-taking-statins-called-into-question-link-between-high-cholesterol-and-heart-disease-inconsistent/amp/

[I_UndergroundPanther]

1. I take statins.

My ldl and trigycerides are in the normal range now.

[SheltieLover]

2. I take them, too.

Follow up in a few weeks for bloodwork. I hope the #s have come down. It was near 300. 😓

[woodsprite]

3. My dr said the only reason she prescribed them for me

was that I was diabetic and the pharma rep told her the protocol had changed and all diabetics needed to be on them.

I turned her down and have been watching my borderline numbers slowly come down with loss of weight and diet change. She said I would never get it as low as recommended for diabetics without the meds - 70 or lower. She might be right, but I’m trying and they’re moving in the right direction.

[Farmer-Rick]

4. That whole theory has been questioned recently.

I'm not a doctor, but there were some real problems with the initial studies.

That eating too much animal fat leads to high cholesterol that leads to damage to the heart and circulatory systems isn't supported by evidence. Cholesterol is actually used by the body to repair vessels and such.

When the initial studies were done on eating fat and heart disease, they failed to account for increased smoking.

Now, that most healthy people don't smoke, they have found the correlation is questionable.

[JudyM]

6. Stunning error of study design not to control for smoking.

Also I read that lipophilic statins may be associated with cognitive decline, IIRC.

[hlthe2b]

8. The association of lipophilic statins with cognitive decline has been my biggest concern for decades

When extreme "ANTI-FAT" cardiologist, Dean Ornish started pushing his ultra ultra ultra low-fat diets for cardiovascular patients (even Bill Clinton, early on) I just cringed. At what cost to the brain?!

We are going to see a lot of damage from some of these assumptions in the coming years/decades.

That isn't to say statins can't help, but relying on a secondary or tertiary health outcome to make assumptions on an intervention's long term effects on the primary outcomes (in this case death from CV disease), while an early necessity, might well have been reigned in earlier given emerging evidence of harm or less benefit to the contrary. Instead aggressive pushing of statins to nearly everyone, even in those with few additional risk factors, is what I've long criticized. Had primary outcome research-proven more positive, I suppose that choice would have been considered "risky, gutsy, but heroic," but I think those long preaching a more moderate approach will be vindicated, however sadly.

[Joinfortmill]

5. Stuff is phucking poison...

Had to fight with 3 docs about the horrible side of effects of this shit before they stopped pushing it on me. Almost 20 years ago and I'm still going strong at 73. Eat a healthy diet, exercise and forget about your cholesterol levels. Just an old woman.

[womanofthehills]

12. Agree - two friends were losing their minds on statins

I take time release niacin every day and it actually lowered my cholesterol 80 points. Research niacin and tons of info how great it is for getting cholesterol down.

[rso]

7. Statins

Refused to take statins, so dr. prescribed Zetia, a non-statin that has worked wonders for me.

[Gore1FL]

9. I take the full dose of Crestor, which is the strongest (at least that I am aware of)

I also take Zetia to stop/slow cholesterol absorbing from my diet. With both of those, my LDLs are in a normal range. If not statins, I hope they come up with something to deal with my liver's cholesterol-production zeal.

[Ruby Zee]

10. Statins are poison

It's hard to find a doctor that doesn't believe statins are the greatest thing ever for elevated cholesterol. Reviews of all studies show little benefit except for older people that have already had a stroke or cardiac issue. Statins are increasingly associated with diabetes, muscle weakness and cognitive decline. Drug companies have used confusing statistics to show benefits.

[Warpy]

11. They're lifesavers when given to the right people

and that means those genetically predisposed to extremely high cholesterol. I have friends my age whose families all died in their 30s from heart disease. Statin drugs made the difference, dropping overall cholesterol from the 400 range down to normal ranges and below.

The problem is that they were overprescribed to everybody with a whisper of heart disease or slightly elevated cholesterol.

My own levels have stayed stubbornly low thanks to the combination of genes and oatmeal.