Oregon State University and LDL

[pops]

*http://pharmacy.oregonstate.edu/drug_policy/pages/dur_board/newsletter/articles/volume4/4_1.html

The above article comes from Oregon State University, which is a conservative and highly respected place.

The bottom line in the above article is that while some studies show that an LDL of below 125 incurs benefit in the prevention of heart disease, other studies show that lowering LDL to less than 125 does not provide additional benefit in the prevention of heart disease.

In my view, having had severe side effects from statins while my LDL was 120 and I was in good health before taking statins, I do not believe it is worth the risk of prescribing statins for a patient with no heart disease whose LDL is below 125.

The new guidelines the medical community is proposing for an LDL of 70 for everyone does not seem wise, since there will likely be huge numbers of people prescribed statins who will develop serious side effects with that as the goal.

I hope someone in authority is reading these messages and is paying attention, and will take action to correct the guidelines physicians receive for prescribing statins. Clearly statins are beneficial for some. But in the same sense that you don't give birth control pills to a three year old, statins, I believe, should not be prescribed for people who don't need them.

My only goal is to prevent much suffering, which I'm concerned will take place if these new statin guidelines (LDL of 70) are put in place. In fact, it seems to me that the goal, according to the above study, should be an LDL of 125, not 100, and definitely not 70.

Have a nice day. If you know someone in medical authority, please link this post to them so they can confirm or deny the truth in it as they see fit. And if my position is correct, someone with the power to change things should do so ASAP.

Thanks.

pops

[Cat Mom2]

The keep lowering those number so they can sell more drugs to healthy people...

[pops]

CatMom2:

They would never lower the LDL standard to 70 just so they could make millions more selling their (deleted) while causing untold suffering through the hideous and sometimes permanent side effects from the over-prescribing of these statin drugs.

You can't make me believe that of the altruistic big pharma execs we all know and love, no matter what you say. I mean, in order for them to run companies that are supposed to advocate for our health, they have to be something akin to incarnations of Mother Theresa, don't they? There is absolutely no way that greed ever enters the picture.

Sarcasm intended.

<Smiley face thingy>

pops

P.S. Sorry, in a weak moment, I expressed my feelings. I'll try not to do it again. Once more, I am aware that these dangerous drugs sometimes help people. And sometimes they harm people.

[vicki]

well I think a LDL of 224 is just fine. That is what I was before statins and that is what I am now after being off statains for over 8 yrs. I think it is what my body NEEDS. If I didn't NEED the cholestrol I wouldn't have had almost every side effect mentioned from taking Statins. Each person is different. Bypass surgury would have been easier and probably less painful then all these side effects from Statin drug. Wish I could go back 15 yrs. of hell and get my life back. Now the FDA 10 2010 says yes, some will get Intersitual lung diease from taking Statins. I am now being tested for this too. Can't hardly breath anymore. Since Statins probably cause heart problems and everything else listed in side effects we would have been better off not taking Statins and took our chances of having heart surgury. The list of side effects from statins goes on for me, year by year. Now over 4 pages long.

[pops]

There should be naturopathic doctors out there who specialize in curing the problems statins create.

Until there are, people can try the natural approaches suggested all over the Internet. From memory some of them are:

COQ10
alpha lipoic acid
l-cartinine
vitamin D

But I'm not a health care professional and can't prescribe, so if you do try the above, it would be a good idea to hookup with an alternative practitioner and have him or her guide you through the process so you don't harm yourself further.

Best luck.

pOps