A Major Medical Disaster Because Statin Drugs Will Soon Be Sold Over-The-Counter

[Guest guest]

We Are Sleep-Walking Into What Could Become A Major Medical Disaster Because

Statin Drugs Will Soon Be Sold Over-The-Counter

By RFD Columnist Dr. Malcolm Kendrick

(email - malcolm@...)

Holoprosencephaly (defective septum separating lateral cerebral ventricles,

with cerebral dysfunction), atrial septal defect, aortic hypoplasia, death

at one month of age.

Aqueductal stenosis with hydrocephalus, concurrent limb deficiency

Cerivothoracic-to-lumbar neural-tube defect, myelocele, duplication of

spinal cord, cerbellar hernation with hydrocephalus; apparent agenesis of

palate

Spina bifida, right-arm abnormality

Left leg: femur 16% shorter than right side; foot: aplasia of metatarsals

and phalanges 3,4 and 5; additional VACTERL (vertebral, anal, cardiac,

tracheal, esophageal, renal and limb defects): left renal dysplasia,

reversed laterality of aorta, disorganized lumbosacral vertebra, single

umbilical artery; additional findings: clitoral hypertrophy, vaginal and

uterine agenesis.

It always amazes me that some things seem to strike terror into the hearts

of mankind whilst other, much more dangerous things, are accepted with a

shrug of the shoulders. As my son has taken to saying 'Yeh, whatever.'

Around the world, for example, car crashes wipe out thousands of people each

and every day, yet few people worry about getting into a car. On the other

hand, one plane comes down; killing a couple of hundred, and it hits the

front page of the newspapers around the world. And we are all nervous about

getting into planes - especially the landing bit.

The things that frighten us, it seems, bear absolutely no relationship to

the level of risk that they represent.

Looking at a medical example of irrational fear, the world still reels in

terror at the word " thalidomide. " However, it turns out that this drug

provides huge benefits in the treatment of myeloma - who would ever have

thought? Yet, it is almost impossible to prescribe thalidomide to many who

need it, due to extremely strict controls on its use. Which is completely

mad, because it only has one major side effect, which is to cause birth

abnormalities in pregnant women.

So, why is it so difficult to prescribe it to a seventy-year-old man?

Because it is thalidomide, and thalidomide is scary.

On the other hand, in the UK we are going to allow statins to be made

available over the counter and - hey, guess what? If you are a woman, and

you get pregnant whilst on statins there is a massive risk of severe,

horrible birth defects. Worse defects than were ever caused by thalidomide.

At least thalidomide didn't affect the brain, causing 'defective septum

separating lateral cerebral ventricles', or 'duplication of the spinal cord.

' Duplication of the spinal cord!

We are sleep-walking into what could be a major medical disaster. Most

people, and most doctors, are unaware - or don't seem to care - that statins

should never ever be taken by a women of child-bearing age. The risk, it

would seem, is greater than that posed by thalidomide, and no-one seems to

be the least bit bothered. 'Yeh, whatever.'

Yet, when statins go OTC it is absolutely certain that women of childbearing

age will take them, knowing nothing of this risk. It is equally certain that

a number of these women will become pregnant, and many of these pregnancies

will result in horribly deformed children.

How can this possibly be allowed to happen? I can only suppose that it is

because everyone believes statins to be utterly safe and cuddly. 'Statins,

why they can't do any harm. They are safer than aspirin aren't they?'

Left arm: aplasia of radius and thumb, shortened ulna; additional VACTERL

(vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheal, esophageal, renal and limb defects):

left arthrogryposis, thoracic scoliosis, fusion of ribs on left, butterfly

vertebra in thoracic and lumbar region, esophageal stricture, anal atresia,

renal dysplasia; additional findings: hemihypertrophy of entire left side,

craniofacial anomalies (including asymmetric ears, ptosis of eyelids, high

arched palate), torticollis.

I am quite certain that many of you won't know what some of these defects

actually are; neither do I. Arthrogryposis... isn't that the fabled winged

beast in Harry Potter?

But these defects shouldn't exactly come as a surprise. Cholesterol is

essential for the development of neural tissue, so we should expect to find

that if the mother is taking a drug that inhibits cholesterol synthesis at a

time when the fetus is developing - horrible developmental abnormalities

will occur. Such as failure of the brain to develop in the right way, or

duplication of the spinal cord.

For more complete details of the birth defects caused by statins consider

reading the New England Journal of Medicine, April 8, 2004: pages 1579 -

1582. It's a letter by Robin J Edison and Maximilian Muenke.