Study: Wider Cholesterol Drug Use May Save Lives

[SunnySmile501]

Now the drug companies want to convince people with already low cholesterol and no history of heart disease to take their cholesterol lowering drugs--even though they cause all kinds of bad side effects! Makes me want to scream! Imagine that healthy people with low risk of heart attack in the first place had less heart attacks!

November 9, 2008

Study: Wider Cholesterol Drug Use May Save Lives

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 9:44 a.m. ET
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- People with low cholesterol and no big risk for heart disease dramatically lowered their chances of dying or having a heart attack if they took the cholesterol pill Crestor, a large study found.

The results, reported Sunday at an American Heart Association conference, were hailed as a watershed event in heart disease prevention. Doctors said the study might lead as many as 7 million more Americans to consider taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, sold as Crestor, Lipitor, Zocor or in generic form.

''This takes prevention to a whole new level, because it applies to patients who we now wouldn't have any evidence to treat,'' said Dr. W. Douglas Weaver, a Detroit cardiologist and president of the American College of Cardiology.

To read the rest of the article: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/heal...gewanted=print

[Velcrocat]

Sounds like big pharma is behind this to keep the $$$$$ coming. If my dr recommended this for me I would ask why if my risk is low. Just my .02 worth.

[Elizellen]

Can't you see that Dr Weaver rubbing his hands with glee thinking of the extra money he will be making if all those healthy people want to take those drugs!

[Pshrynk]

I'm sorry guys but that was a legit study in a legit journal. It was also only a single study that suggested possible utility -- but it has not been replicated nor proven out -- and is not being recommended as a practise yet. It was funded by Astra-Zeneca but that does not mean the researchers did not do good science.

Saving lives is probably a good thing -- just saying.

[FLdoodette]

I saw that study, too. Statins are imperative for someone like me (my total cholesterol runs well over 300, and even dietary changes, exercise and supplements only help so much), but to put somone with normal cholesterol levels on statins makes no sense at all. You have to be carefully monitored and have blood work done every six months to make sure the stuff isn't frying your liver (and onions!) ... it's not like taking a baby aspirin or something Crazy. It does sound suspiciously like Big Pharma at work ... again.

[Pshrynk]

What they do if you don't have high cholesterol is they stabilize any pre-existing plaques and also prevent them from getting worse -- thereby preventing blockages and heart attacks.

People without currently high cholesterol can still have plaques and pre-existing issues that these drugs could help. This research is still really early and preliminary.

-- therefore --

my opinion is that I really don't think it's ethical to slander these researchers without proper information first.