RE: Re: Statin cuts heart risk even in healthy people. Find out more with SearchMedica

[Guest guest]

Hi AllMy ex (10 years older than me at 68) was 100% fit and healthy until called to his surgery for a OAP check on his 65th. He was strong as an ox and never a days illness. He was told his cholesterol was high and was put on symvastatin. I'd read quite a bit before then and was quite uneasy but the Gp had scared him and he seemed happy to take them. He became a sick, weak old man almost overnight with pains in his legs so bad he couldn't walk or sleep. His shoulders became so painful he was unable to lift his arm or turn over in bed but racked with pain in his legs if he stayed in one position. His face was puffy and grey. He looked terrible and was getting worse. he managed through sheer guts to carry on working but got so he was unable to even do up his shoe laces. he'd come to visit me, fall asleep with such uncharacteristic exhaustion and looked so often as though he had a very short time to live - no exaggeration!! he is a workaholic and has an allotment but could hardly lift a spade. It was awful for us all watching this mountain of a man descend into a wreck.

It was by chance that he found out about another chap in his village who was in the same predicament, unable to even stand up from his chair, and in incredible pain, but had made the connection with the statins. He told my ex that there are several others in the same village suffering the same - and it's a small village!. He then listened to me and I printed off reams about them. He found out just a few weeks ago that his brother is also suffering exactly the same and on the same drugs.

My ex has now been off the statins for about 3 months and much of the pain has gone, his calf and shoulders almost back to normal so he is at last able to sleep better (still has a dodgy hip) and his colour has come back to normal.

I really do not know how they are managing to still push these evil drugs on the unsuspecting when there is so much evidence against them. I'm expecting to be told to take them re my diabetes but they will be very firmly told where to stick them - and why.

Annexx2008/11/11 keith m <keith.mann14@...>

Hi Sheila, I just Emailed the BBC to ask what the risk of the study group was in the first place as this is not stated anywhere on their web site, it could be 1 in 1,000,000. Also AstraZeneca (see below) who carried out the research also funded research of the doctor that they quote on the web page-----

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7715707.stm

" These are people who have an intermediate risk and you wouldn't normally prescribe statins for them in the UK " Dr Terry McCormack, GP

They do add further down the page " a GP in Whitby, North Yorkshire, and ex-chairman of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society " .

Surly they could find a GP to comment who has no conflict of interest

Crestor boost for AstraZeneca

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/crestor-boost-for-astrazeneca-1009867.html

By Alistair DawberTuesday, 11 November 2008

The Anglo-Swedish drug group AstraZeneca got a boost yesterday when its anti-cholesterol treatment, Crestor, was shown to cut the chances of heart attacks and strokes dramatically among patients with healthy cholesterol levels.

The UK's second biggest drugs maker said that the results of its own two year Jupiter study has shown that the risk of heart attacks among those without high cholesterol levels, but who are still susceptible to cardiac arrests, was cut by 54 per cent. The threat of strokes among the same group of people fell by 48 per cent.

The group's share price closed up 3.2 per cent at 2,770p, with analysts arguing that sales of Crestor could be pushed well above the $2.8bn achieved last year.

Am I becoming cynical or what!

Regards

>> I can't believe this, but then - I can. Doctors are determined we should> all be on statins - even our children. They will be giving them away free> at the entrance to every public building next. Why are they covering up the

> harm that statins can do and pushing them so hard?> > > > > > Luv - Sheila> > > >

[Guest guest]

Because there is a massive MOUNTAIN of statins they need

to get rid of - and there are millions and millions of pounds involved.

Luv - Sheila

Definitely looks llike statins are being pushed as a wonderdrug - but

why?

Tracey

[Guest guest]

One of the best medications for anybody with high cholesterol is

good old fashioned Niacin. You need a high dose replacement as opposed to the

daily requirement. This has been used extensively for years and years to bring

down cholesterol naturally. You often getting an uncomfortable flushing all

over your body when taking Niacin (vitamin B3) and this can caused your body to

go red all over and your face. It is a bit frightening at first and I know that

was quite terrified when he first tried it, but apparently, you can

adjust to this happening after a while and your body gets used to it.

I

tried on the non-flushing Niacin but have recently read that whatever it

is that they add to make it 'non-flushing' takes away some of the properties of

Niacin, so he has started the 'proper' Niacin and he still starts to flush half

an hour after taking it, and it can last for up to an hour before it goes. This

is not dangerous. Have a look at the information here http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/niacin/CL00036

Luv

- Sheila

Hi All

My ex (10 years older than me at 68) was 100% fit and healthy until called to

his surgery for a OAP check on his 65th. He was strong as an ox and never

a days illness. He was told his cholesterol was high and was put on

symvastatin. I'd read quite a bit before then and was quite uneasy but

the Gp had scared him and he seemed happy to take them. He

became a sick, weak old man almost overnight with pains in his legs so bad he

couldn't walk or sleep. His shoulders became so painful he was unable to

lift his arm or turn over in bed but racked with pain in his legs if he stayed

in one position. His face was puffy and grey. He looked terrible

and was getting worse. he managed through sheer guts to carry on working

but got so he was unable to even do up his shoe laces. he'd come to

visit me, fall asleep with such uncharacteristic exhaustion and looked so often

as though he had a very short time to live - no exaggeration!! he is a

workaholic and has an allotment but could hardly lift a spade. It was awful for

us all watching this mountain of a man descend into a wreck.

[Guest guest]

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/statin_index.html

Here is Barry Groves website about statins which makes for interesting reading.

Lilian

[Guest guest]

I believe doctors also get a payment for each patient they

prescribe statins. Yesterday, when I started talking about blood tests to the

doctor I saw, the first think he asked was " …have you had your

cholesterol checked recently " . I said no, and that I wasn't particularly

worried about that. He said " OK, we will get a fasting cholesterol

done " . Surprise, surprise! I bet every patient is asked that question and

now given this number one test.

From

our American friends here, please can you tell me what the reference range is

for cholesterol over there please. It appears that anybody who has a

cholesterol level over 5.0 here in the UK is recommended to start taking

Statins.

Luv

- Sheila

There is a section on statins in " Trick

and Treat " by Barry Groves

(pages 51-53). He thinks that cholesterol screening is just a way to

increase the customer base for statins and says the cut-off point for

" high cholesterol " keeps being lowered. Statins are now among the

best selling prescription drugs in the world.

Miriam

_,___

[Guest guest]

Need we say more?

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMoa0807646

" In conclusion, in this randomized trial of apparently

healthy men and women who did not have hyperlipidemia but did have

elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, the rates of

a first major cardiovascular event and death from any cause were

significantly reduced among the participants who received rosuvastatin

as compared with those who received placebo " .

M Ridker, M.D., Eleanor son, M.I.A., Francisco A.H.

Fonseca, M.D., Jacques Genest, M.D., M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., J.P.

Kastelein, M.D., Wolfgang Koenig, M.D., Libby, M.D., Alberto J.

Lorenzatti, M.D., G. MacFadyen, B.A., Børge G. Nordestgaard, M.D.,

Shepherd, M.D., T. Willerson, M.D., J. Glynn, Sc.D., for the

JUPITER Study Group

Supported by AstraZeneca.

Dr. Ridker reports receiving grant support

from AstraZeneca, Novartis,

Merck, Abbott, Roche, and Sanofi-Aventis; consulting fees or lecture

fees or both from AstraZeneca, Novartis, Merck, Merck–Schering-Plough,

Sanofi-Aventis, Isis, Dade Behring, and Vascular Biogenics; and is

listed as a coinventor on patents held by Brigham and Women's

Hospital that relate to the use of inflammatory biomarkers in

cardiovascular disease, including the use of high-sensitivity

C-reactive protein in the evaluation of patients' risk of

cardiovascular disease. These patents have been licensed to Dade

Behring and AstraZeneca. Dr. Fonseca reports receiving research

grants, lecture fees, and consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Pfizer,

Schering-Plough, Sanofi-Aventis, and Merck; and Dr. Genest, lecture

fees from AstraZeneca, Schering-Plough, Merck–Schering-Plough,

Pfizer, Novartis, and Sanofi-Aventis and consulting fees from

AstraZeneca, Merck, Merck Frosst, Schering-Plough, Pfizer, Novartis,

Resverlogix, and Sanofi-Aventis. Dr. Gotto reports receiving

consulting fees from Dupont, Novartis, Aegerion, Arisaph, Kowa,

Merck, Merck–Schering-Plough, Pfizer, Genentech, Martek, and

Reliant; serving as an expert witness; and receiving publication

royalties. Dr. Kastelein reports receiving grant support from

AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Roche, Novartis, Merck, Merck–Schering-Plough, Isis,

Genzyme, and Sanofi-Aventis; lecture fees from AstraZeneca, GlaxoKline,

Pfizer, Novartis, Merck–Schering-Plough, Roche, Isis, and

Boehringer Ingelheim; and consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Abbott,

Pfizer, Isis, Genzyme, Roche, Novartis, Merck,

Merck–Schering-Plough, and Sanofi-Aventis. Dr. Koenig reports

receiving grant support from AstraZeneca, Roche, Anthera, Dade

Behring and GlaxoKline; lecture fees from AstraZeneca, Pfizer,

Novartis, GlaxoKline, DiaDexus, Roche, and Boehringer

Ingelheim; and consulting fees from GlaxoKline, Medlogix,

Anthera, and Roche. Dr. Libby reports receiving lecture fees from

Pfizer and lecture or consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers

Squibb, GlaxoKline, Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, VIA

Pharmaceuticals, Interleukin Genetics, Kowa Research Institute, Novartis,

and Merck–Schering-Plough. Dr. Lorenzatti reports receiving

grant support, lecture fees, and consulting fees from AstraZeneca,

Takeda, and Novartis; Dr. Nordestgaard, lecture fees from

AstraZeneca, Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Merck

and consulting fees from AstraZeneca and BG Medicine; Dr. Shepherd,

lecture fees from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Merck and consulting fees

from AstraZeneca, Merck, Roche, GlaxoKline, Pfizer, Nicox, and

Oxford Biosciences; and Dr. Glynn, grant support from AstraZeneca

and Bristol-Myers Squibb. No other potential conflict of interest

relevant to this article was reported.

>After read the Scathing comment left by Dr's

in the readers comments it make me

wonder why this story was ever covered by the BBC.

Its

good to now there are doctors not taken in by the Pharmaceutical Industry but

more worrying that the propaganda is not being keep in check by the BBC.

The

link to the readers comment is in the editors

Notes box at the top of the page.

Best

wishes

>

> Because there is a massive MOUNTAIN of statins they need to get rid of -

and

> there are millions and millions of pounds involved.

>

> Luv - Sheila

>

>

>

> Definitely looks llike statins are being pushed as a wonderdrug - but

> why?

>

> Tracey

>

[Guest guest]

I had a colesteral level of 5.3 and wasnt recommended statins, its now 4.4 without me doing anything

I believe doctors also get a payment for each patient they prescribe statins. Yesterday, when I started talking about blood tests to the doctor I saw, the first think he asked was "…have you had your cholesterol checked recently". I said no, and that I wasn't particularly worried about that. He said "OK, we will get a fasting cholesterol done". Surprise, surprise! I bet every patient is asked that question and now given this number one test.

From our American friends here, please can you tell me what the reference range is for cholesterol over there please. It appears that anybody who has a cholesterol level over 5.0 here in the UK is recommended to start taking Statins.

Luv - Sheila

There is a section on statins in "Trick and Treat" by Barry Groves(pages 51-53). He thinks that cholesterol screening is just a way toincrease the customer base for statins and says the cut-off point for"high cholesterol" keeps being lowered. Statins are now among thebest selling prescription drugs in the world. Miriam

_,___

[Guest guest]

The experience with my doctors and certainly my parents doctors is that they try and help you reduce your colesterol in others ways before using statins, giving advice on foods to eat etc, the same with BP meds, if you cant alter things yourself then they offer the meds.

My friend has just been put on statins and her doctor asked her what she thought about it and if she would consider it, she didnt just have them ramed down her throat, seems some docs are so different

I was talking generally .

Sheila

____________ _________ ___

I had a colesteral level of 5.3 and wasnt recommended statins, its now 4.4 without me doing anything

I believe doctors also get a payment for each patient they prescribe statins. Yesterday, when I started talking about blood tests to the doctor I saw, the first think he asked was "…have you had your cholesterol checked recently". I said no, and that I wasn't particularly worried about that. He said "OK, we will get a fasting cholesterol done". Surprise, surprise! I bet every patient is asked that question and now given this number one test.

From our American friends here, please can you tell me what the reference range is for cholesterol over there please. It appears that anybody who has a cholesterol level over 5.0 here in the UK is recommended to start taking Statins.

Luv - Sheila

There is a section on statins in "Trick and Treat" by Barry Groves(pages 51-53). He thinks that cholesterol screening is just a way toincrease the customer base for statins and says the cut-off point for"high cholesterol" keeps being lowered. Statins are now among thebest selling prescription drugs in the world. Miriam

_,___

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

Poor - however he will be in demand at Christmas as a flashing ( flushing)

tree decoration!

Stenning

I tried on the non-flushing Niacin but have recently read

that whatever it is that they add to make it 'non-flushing' takes away some of

the properties of Niacin, so he has started the 'proper' Niacin and he still

starts to flush half an hour after taking it, and it can last for up to an hour

before it goes. This is not dangerous. Have a look at the information

here http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/niacin/CL00036