Lowering cholesterol

[LDunlop76]

All men over 50 should take drug to lower cholesterol, says heart expert

· Blanket prescription of statins 'would save lives'
· Caution urged by British Heart Foundation

Polly Curtis, health correspondent
Saturday July 28, 2007
The Guardian


Every man over the age of 50 should be on a daily medication of cholesterol-lowering drugs to protect against heart disease and stroke, the government's heart tsar said yesterday.
Roger Boyle said that blanket prescribing of statins should also apply to women from 60 or 65 to reduce the hundreds of thousands of deaths a year from cardiovascular diseases. He acknowledged that such a move would lead to accusations of a "nanny state" and that people would resist being medicalised from the age of 50 or 60.

The British Heart Foundation urged caution against mass medication using statins until there was longer-term data on the side-effects. Research published this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggested a very slight increase in cancers associated with higher doses of the drugs


What do you think? Taking medication automatically just because you've reached a certain age goes against the grain with me.

Here's the full article:
http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,2136544,00.html

[Spitfire]

I am firmly against statins - full stop. Not enough data available on the long term effects and also (in our experience) not enough doctor knowledge on the subject.

Mass treatment should be only applied to the tried and trusted methods, such as in the past with the polio vaccine.

[noel]

I'm taking Vandia for my diabetes and have just found out it can cause heart failure due to fluid retained around the heart in 2% of all cases of those who take it.
I'm now very sceptical about anything recommended by my GP.

If I don't write anymore on this forum, suspect the worst.[}]

[anacortesdamp]

Another "Government Spokesperson" getting money from the drug manufacturers. Statins have all kinds of side effects. When I tried them, I got horrible nightmares. Many people get muscle pains and after a relatively short time, these are permanent, even if you go off the medication.

Also, the "recommended" levels of cholesterol are regularly lowered. In the US, it's impossible to get low enough to meet the guidelines without drugs. They've lowered them 4 times in the last 10 years or so. The "scientific basis" seems to be if low is good, then lower is better.

At least, there's no legally imposed limits, unlike blood pressure. When I started as a bus driver, there was a limit of 160/100 to hold a commercial driver's license. I met the limits on the one BP medication I was taking. The following year, the limit was lowered to 140/80, based on a single study done by the US Navy on 200 people. Mine was 142/82 and I had to start a second BP medication to get it down below the limit, otherwise my license would have reverted to non-commercial. Another driver who started training at the same time I did, had no BP limitations, but suffered a heart attack after about a year. He returned to driving after a quadruple by-pass. Unfortunately, his diabetes got him and he's had to retire on disability.


Frank

[mick]

My Cholesterol is slightly high and the doc put me on Lipitor low dose. I then decided to buy a bike and get my cardio vascular system more exercise, hopefully this will do the trick and I can give the drugs the flick.

[LDunlop76]

Good for you, Mick - a man after my own heart! (Excuse the pun!)

[William R]

"They" put me on statins - the effect was disaster. A week later I went back to the Docs and was told NEVER under any circumstances take statins again, you`ll never survive them.

Still plodding along and enjoying life, in spite of the Medics!!

[LDunlop76]

Long may you continue, Bill!

[DavidBatty]

I just bought a Unicycle for my health, to lose a bit of weight, I got the Unicycle because it's difficult to find local smooth concrete for skateboarding.

I bought on Ebay this week, it's fun but not for the faint hearted - if your not careful you can fly through the air head first when you least expect it !