Lies, Dam Lies and Statistics. What is the Truth Regarding Statins?
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008(If you torture data sufficiently, it will confess to almost anything. (Prof. Fred Menger))
If your car repair workshop told you to reduce the amount of oil in the engine of your car to well below the minimum level on the dipstick, I am willing to bet that even the most “non car savvy” of you might be a tad suspicious.
If they went on to tell you the measure will prevent engine seizures and improve control of the engine, you may suspect an ulterior motive! A call to customer services of the motor manufacturer would soon reveal this to all be untrue. But, medical “experts” can tell us equally outrageous tales regarding our health and we do not question them at all!
As I write this on 28th May 2008, the BBC is reporting “The number of adults prescribed cholesterol-busting statin drugs in England and Wales is set to soar under new national guidelines.” The statement goes on to say that The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is asking GPs to trawl through patient records to pick out “high-risk” patients who would benefit from taking statins.
Is it a coincidence that Dr John Robson, a GP and chair of the guideline group in NICE, received an award from Pfizer in 2004? Pfizer is a major US based manufacturer of statin drugs making billions of dollars of profits every year.
Let me declare my position. I am a layman. I do not hold a professional medical qualification. I am an intelligent and enquiring individual concerned about yours and my health. I therefore feel justified in challenging the published opinions of “experts” who seem to be perpetuating myths. I am not accusing them of telling barefaced lies. They probably believe they are doing the best they can.
But, let’s face it, most substances produced by pharmaceutical companies are alien substances to our bodies. Many of them are toxic. The number of people who actually die from either misdiagnosis or so-called side effects of drugs is alarming.
Please hear this! I am not anti-drug. Now this may surprise you, but I believe there is a place for drugs in emergency and short term treatment. You see I know what it is like to have a health scare from personal experience. The frame of mind at the time is possibly not cool and ready to spend a few days in research for natural alternatives! The first available appointment with the doctor is sought or worse you may find yourself in the emergency department of a hospital.
There is no doubt that the expert attention of medical professionals and the correct use of drugs can and does save lives. What “Natural-Health-Awareness.com” is about, is the twofold goal of raising the awareness of all individuals so that they can and should do more for themselves. Actually take responsibility for their health either post an event or be taking preventative measures that ward off the possibility of a health scare.
The problem as I see it and it is a view that is becoming widely held, is that our doctors only have the prescription of drugs as an answer to most problems. Yes, I know that is a generalisation and there are always exceptions but that is the general rule. If you do not to take drugs long term, where do you get advice on nutrition and lifestyle etc? Much of the advice from the NHS, and other institutions is based on outdated information especially regarding nutrition.
April 2008, in the Harvard Health Letter published by the Harvard Medical School, an article appeared entitled “You Don’t Have to Take a Pill! This surprising but pleasing article reports that a growing number of studies are showing that simple lifestyle changes including correct nutrition and exercise are effective remedies to combat several diseases. The list discussed was:-
- Arthritis
- Cholesterol (and heart disease, our inclusion.Ed.)
- Cognitive decline
- Depression
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
All of these are or will be addressed on our website but for now in an unbiased way let us look at a few facts that I have been able to research in the arena of statination.
- Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease. This is seemingly becoming an accepted fact in the scientific and medical community. Cholesterol is a lipid or molecule that is an essential building block in the reproduction of cells. It is a waxy substance that is not water soluble in blood so from where it is manufactured in the liver, it gets carried around the body by lipoproteins. Cholesterol is essential in the body in the manufacture of hormones and cells as well as the repair and maintenance of cells.
- There is no such thing as “good” or “bad” cholesterol. Your doctor will tell you that LDL (low density lipoproteins) is bad cholesterol and that HDL (high density lipoproteins) is good cholesterol. LDL transports cholesterol to tissue. HDL returns it to the liver for reuse or excretion.
- Corrected nutrition is the preventative measure of choice. Small size LDL is associated with heart disease as they can get stuck between the cells that line the arteries. They can get rancid and cause inflammation. Scar tissue can build up and narrow the arteries causing heart attacks and strokes. The only known good way to regulate LDL particles is to eat well.
- Statin drugs may be misunderstood. There is a group of scientists and doctors who believe that the actual beneficial action of statins reduces inflammation and it is not the reduction of cholesterol that provides benefit. So is there a case for taking them anyway? Well due to the possible reduction in inflammation and the reduced propensity for narrowing arteries, heart attacks will decrease. Unfortunately, the evidence is that whilst death due to heart disease goes down in people taking statins, death from other causes goes up!
Concluded in Part two.
