Bill Sardi's Knowledge of Health: Statin drugs are ineffective; news headlines say otherwise

[Guest guest]

forwarding........



 

Knowledge of Health Inc,.

 

457 West Allen #117 San Dimas, CA 91773 USA

www.KnowledgeofHealth.com

Email: admin

 

November 9, 2008

 

The Headline You Should Be Reading: Statin Drugs Don't Save Lives And May

Increase Your Risk For Diabetes.

By Bill Sardi

(Nov. 9, 2008) - Americans are being bombarded today by news reports of a

breakthrough in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, strokes

and high blood pressure). The hype is undeserved, the data less than compelling,

and when it came to whether the statin drug used in the study (Crestor) actually

saved lives, the headlines should have said the drug trial failed and that it

raised the risk for diabetes.

 

Here is how the news media and health authorities portrayed the study (New

England Journal of Medicine, Nov. 9, 2008):

" A highly anticipated study has produced powerful evidence that a simple blood

test can spot seemingly healthy people who are at increased risk for a heart

attack or stroke and that giving them a widely used drug offers potent

protection against the nation's leading killers. " -Rob Stein, The Washington

Post

 

" The potential public health benefits are huge. It really changes the way we

have to think about prevention of heart attack and stroke. "   - Paul M. Ridker

of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

" It's a breakthrough study, it's a blockbuster. It's absolutely

paradigm-shifting. " - Steven E. Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic. (These are the

words drug companies want to hear.)

 

" This takes prevention to a whole new level. Yesterday you would not have used a

statin for a patient whose cholesterol was normal. Today you will. " - W. Douglas

Weaver, president of the American College of Cardiology.

 

" These are findings that are really going to impact the practice of cardiology

in the country. " -Dr. Elizabeth G. Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung

and Blood Institute, which was not involved in the research.

 

The drug companies now assert that normally healthy people should now take

statin drugs, even if they have low-to-normal cholesterol levels, because

Crestor reduced C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. This claim would

expand the use of statin drugs to millions more Americans and reel in billions

of dollars of sales for the maker of Crestor.

 

For comparison, Crestor reduced C-reactive protein by 37%, vitamin E lowers CRP

by 32%, and vitamin C by 25.3%. [Free Radical Medicine & Biology Oct. 10, 2008;

American Journal Clinical Nutrition 86: 1392: 2007] These vitamins are not toxic

to the liver.

 

Major efforts will likely be made to promote Crestor on TV, prodding healthy

people with normal cholesterol levels to begin taking a drug known to cause

liver toxicity and muscle problems, a drug that costs $3.45 per day ($1259 a

year). The data shows about 120 patients would have to take Crestor for nearly

two years to prevent just one stroke or heart attack. Translation: the drug is

effective less among less than 1% of the patients over this time period.

 

The 4-year study of 18,000 patients was stopped suddenly prior to the 2-year

mark because it allegedly showed startling improvements in cardiovascular

health. But generally studies are halted when greater risk is identified.

Halting the study prematurely may have hidden the occurrence of the

characteristic side effects caused by the drug (liver toxicity and muscle

problems).

The drug also increased the risk for diabetes, which represents disease

substitution, not disease prevention.

 

John Abramson, a Harvard professor and author of " Overdosed America, " said:

" We're already struggling to provide health services for the 46 million

Americans who don't have health insurance in the United States. This is going to

drain away a lot of money from the system for little or no benefit. We know that

there are lifestyle interventions that are effective. "

 

Dr. Abramson's own analysis of major statin drug studies did not reveal any

significant reduction in mortality, regardless of whether statin drugs lowered

cholesterol or C-reactive protein.

 

The drug companies know their long-standing cholesterol-ruse is over. So they

have now found another useless marker to make Americans phobic over -

inflammation and C-reactive protein. #### -Copyright 2008 Bill Sardi, Knowledge

of Health, Inc. Not for posting on other blog sites or web pages.

 

This chart, taken directly from the Crestor study (Jupiter study, New England

Journal of Medicine, Nov. 9, 2008), shows no difference in overall mortality

rates between an inactive placebo pill and Crestor, a statin drug, among 18,000

adults. Pay careful attention to the two overlapping lines at the bottom of the

chart, which show no difference in mortality. The small chart that is inset

within the larger chart had to be used to show the imagined difference in

mortality. The small chart magnifies the difference, which is essentially

non-existent.

 

© Copyright 2008 Bill Sardi, Knowledge of Health, Inc. Not for posting on other

websites. You are recieving this email because you signed up for the Bill Sardi

News Blasts at KnowledgeofHealth.com or NaturalHealthLibrarian.com.

Here and Now Books

 

457 West Allen Avenue #117

San Dimas, California

91773

US

 

 

 

More coordinators needed!