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For Older People, Reassuring News in the Statin Debate

JacksinPA

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There is accumulating evidence that the benefits of statins far outweigh possible risks, and nearly all statins on the market are now available as inexpensive generics.

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, already one of the most popular medications worldwide, may become even more widely used as evidence grows of their safety and value to the elderly and their potential benefits beyond the heart and blood vessels.

Among the latest are reports of the ability of several leading statins to reduce deaths from common cancers and blunt the decline of memory with age. Perhaps such reports will persuade a reluctant 65-year-old friend who has diabetes, and others like him, that taking the statin his doctor strongly advised is a smart choice.

In addition to accumulating evidence that the benefits of statins far outweigh possible risks for the vast majority of people for whom they are now recommended, nearly all statins on the market are now available as inexpensive generics.

Full disclosure: I have a strong family history of heart disease and have been taking a statin — atorvastatin, originally marketed as Lipitor — for many years after dietary changes failed to control a steadily rising blood level of artery-damaging LDL-cholesterol. My prescription is now fully covered by my Medicare Part D insurance with no co-pay.
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Statins like atorvastatin work by inhibiting the biosynthesis of endogenous cholesterol in the liver.

I've taken atorvastatin for years.

My cardiologist suggested I add a 10 mg Zetia (ezetimbe) in order to further lower my cholesterol level. Zetia acts by inhibiting a protein in the small intestine that transports cholesterol from food, called exogenous cholesterol.

The 2 drugs together succeeded in lowering both my total cholesterol & my LDL (bad cholesterol) to acceptable levels.
 

There is accumulating evidence that the benefits of statins far outweigh possible risks, and nearly all statins on the market are now available as inexpensive generics.

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, already one of the most popular medications worldwide, may become even more widely used as evidence grows of their safety and value to the elderly and their potential benefits beyond the heart and blood vessels.

Among the latest are reports of the ability of several leading statins to reduce deaths from common cancers and blunt the decline of memory with age. Perhaps such reports will persuade a reluctant 65-year-old friend who has diabetes, and others like him, that taking the statin his doctor strongly advised is a smart choice.

In addition to accumulating evidence that the benefits of statins far outweigh possible risks for the vast majority of people for whom they are now recommended, nearly all statins on the market are now available as inexpensive generics.

Full disclosure: I have a strong family history of heart disease and have been taking a statin — atorvastatin, originally marketed as Lipitor — for many years after dietary changes failed to control a steadily rising blood level of artery-damaging LDL-cholesterol. My prescription is now fully covered by my Medicare Part D insurance with no co-pay.
===============================================================================
Statins like atorvastatin work by inhibiting the biosynthesis of endogenous cholesterol in the liver.

I've taken atorvastatin for years.

My cardiologist suggested I add a 10 mg Zetia (ezetimbe) in order to further lower my cholesterol level. Zetia acts by inhibiting a protein in the small intestine that transports cholesterol from food, called exogenous cholesterol.

The 2 drugs together succeeded in lowering both my total cholesterol & my LDL (bad cholesterol) to acceptable levels.
I never knew there was an issue with statins. Since my brush with death from congestive heart failure, I've been taking atorvastatin daily...along with four other medicines...for five years. My ejection fraction has steadily improved over that period of time till I'm now back into the range of a person with a normal heart.
 
I never knew there was an issue with statins. Since my brush with death from congestive heart failure, I've been taking atorvastatin daily...along with four other medicines...for five years. My ejection fraction has steadily improved over that period of time till I'm now back into the range of a person with a normal heart.


" Statins are the most profitable drugs in the history of Big Pharma. Statins fail to prevent or treat heart disease for almost everyone who takes them and they are causing more harm than any other class of medications. In fact, statins are effective for approximately 1% who take them. In other words, statins fail 99% who take them." ---Dr. David Brownstein "The Statin Disaster".

I'd like someone who knows about this subject, a scientist, and refute the data in this book. I've seen a small debate by Brownstein and another doctor. and Brownstein's arguments seemed
far more compelling.
 
" Statins are the most profitable drugs in the history of Big Pharma. Statins fail to prevent or treat heart disease for almost everyone who takes them and they are causing more harm than any other class of medications. In fact, statins are effective for approximately 1% who take them. In other words, statins fail 99% who take them." ---Dr. David Brownstein "The Statin Disaster".

I'd like someone who knows about this subject, a scientist, and refute the data in this book. I've seen a small debate by Brownstein and another doctor. and Brownstein's arguments seemed
far more compelling.
All I know is my doctor tells me that Atorvastatin reduces cholesterol, which reduces the build up inside my blood vessels, which reduces the work my heart has to do when pumping blood throughout my body.

That sounds good to me.
 
All I know is my doctor tells me that Atorvastatin reduces cholesterol, which reduces the build up inside my blood vessels, which reduces the work my heart has to do when pumping blood throughout my body.

That sounds good to me.

Yes, but there is disagreement over the concept that cholesterol is, in fact, a contributing factor to heart disease. There are a few books on this, by credible people, which challenge that very notion.

My doctor offered me statins, by my mother is having a real hard time with the side effects, and I just didn't want to go down the path she is on, noting there is disagreement in the medical field over statins. There are two books, publlished by medical doctors, "The Statin Disaster" and "The Truth About Statins" everyone who is taking them should read.

Now, I'm not saying lets' eat 10 eggs for breakfast and dinner, either, I'm just saying I need more consensus on this before I'm going to take them, but that's me.

Also, one study, in science, is not the final word on any premise, this is understood, as well.

It's back by science


Conclusions High LDL-C is inversely associated with mortality in most people over 60 years. This finding is inconsistent with the cholesterol hypothesis (ie, that cholesterol, particularly LDL-C, is inherently atherogenic). Since elderly people with high LDL-C live as long or longer than those with low LDL-C, our analysis provides reason to question the validity of the cholesterol hypothesis. Moreover, our study provides the rationale for a re-evaluation of guidelines recommending pharmacological reduction of LDL-C in the elderly as a component of cardiovascular disease prevention strategies.
This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See:
 
I never knew there was an issue with statins. Since my brush with death from congestive heart failure, I've been taking atorvastatin daily...along with four other medicines...for five years. My ejection fraction has steadily improved over that period of time till I'm now back into the range of a person with a normal heart.

Damn dude. Getting old really isn't for ******s.
 
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