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Health Buzz: FDA Panel Says Crestor Benefits People With Normal Cholesterol

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When Uffe Ravnskov, MD PhD actually went back and looked at the medical literature it showed something quite surprising. Elderly people with higher cholesterol on average live longer. For those interested you can read more on this here and here,
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2009/10/do-people-with-high-cholesterol-live.html
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2009/12/interview-with-dr-uffe-ravnskov.html

Philip of MD 7:18AM January 02, 2010

I wonder why they don't write articles about how many people DIE taking statins? My girlfriend was put on statins because of high cholesterol. Yes, her cholesterol dropped, along with increased muscle pain which her doctor ignored. At 59, she is now 6 feet under. I don't advise any healthy person taking these drugs without considering the very serious side effects which are downplayed.

GaPeech of GA 4:46PM December 18, 2009

This is total madness.Statin drugs are dangerous!! Cholesterol is an essential component of every cell in the body. Lowering cholesterol to abnormally low levels causes a host of problems including muscle damage and memory problems. Take a healthy person and make them sick for profit. This is a disgrace. This is a total scam by big pharm and the minions at the FDA. The FDA works for big pharm not the American people.

cecily of SC 1:14AM December 18, 2009

Does anyone have issues with the fact that the JUPITER study was sponsored by the same pharmaceutical company that stood to make astronomical profits from positive results? And why did 25% of the Crestor takers in the study have to STOP taking it 18 months into the study? Personally, I think a 27% increase in the risk for the onset of diabetes is, ahem, significant (especially if you are one of the 27%). The issue of weakened muscles/ligaments is also of concern; falling and breaking one's hip is the beginning of the end of many elderly folks. I'd hate to take the statin to prevent one condition that will kill me only to find it caused another condition that will kill me. I'd hate to throw the baby out with the bath water - the JUPITER study may be on to something very important - BUT, has there been or will there be an INDEPENDENT study to replicate the JUPITER results? Good science requires that the results are able to be replicated....

Sheryl of AL 5:22PM December 17, 2009

Does anyone have issues with the fact that the JUPITER study was sponsored by the same pharmaceutical company that stood to make astronomical profits from positive results? And why did 25% of the Crestor takers in the study have to STOP taking it 18 months into the study? Personally, I think a 27% increase in the risk for the onset of diabetes is, ahem, significant (especially if you are one of the 27%). The issue of weakened muscles/ligaments is also of concern; falling and breaking one's hip is the beginning of the end of many elderly folks. I'd hate to take the statin to prevent one condition that will kill me only to find it caused another condition that will kill me.

Sheryl of AL 5:19PM December 17, 2009

In my opinion, some serious inquiry into muscle degredation and ligament softening by statins need to be re-checked and considered before these drugs are so casually prescribed. I've talked with too many people that have had these side effects (myself included) to believe that this is just "a rare but dangerous side effect". We're going to have a bunch of people with healthy hearts riding around in wheelchairs.

Larry of SC 9:26PM December 16, 2009

Vitamin D supplementation outperforms the snake oil that is statins etc. Anyone listening out there? The whole issue of inflammation in the arteries and the plaques that follow is a result of long term vitamin D deficiency. As was suspected for many years by those most familiar with the facts vitamin D supplementation often results in the reduction of blockages within arteries. You can look it up and a whole lot more.
Do your research folks and start supplementing with un-vitamin D (it's a steroid!) and see what it does for your health in a hundred ways. RUN! Do not walk to: Vitamin D Council and Grassroots Health web sites. They are selling nothing but publically available info re: vitamin D. Nothing on this earth is more important than maintaining a blood serum level of at least 50 ng/ml, year round. One last detail for those of you deficient in vitamin D...start supplementing and be like everyone else when you feel 25 years younger!

CLSangston of MD 8:18PM December 16, 2009

Yeah, because this is obviously a conspiracy being played out by the FDA-pharma industrial complex.
Statins have been known to lower hs-CRP levels for several years now. Statins have also been shown to play a role in primary prevention of heart attack and stroke.
Why the skepticism?
The real question here is whether it's cost effective to have folks w/ elevated hs-CRP and are 28 years old take a medication that costs over $100/month for the next 60 yrs of their life.

Blaine of TX 3:12PM December 16, 2009