New U.S. guidelines could put most Americans on cholesterol-lowering drugs

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/29/new-u-s-guidelines-could-put-most-americans-on-cholesterol-lowering-drugs/



New U.S. guidelines could put most Americans on cholesterol-lowering drugs
By Agence France-Presse
Saturday, March 29, 2014 18:45 EDT

Nearly every male and most women over 55 could fall under new US guidelines for who should take cholesterol lowering drugs, researchers said Saturday, stirring fresh controversy in the medical world.

If applied to a group of 5,000 otherwise healthy people over that age in The Netherlands, 96 percent of men and two thirds of women could be prescribed some sort of statin, said the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

That is far more than would be allocated under European guidelines, raising new questions about how popular drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin) are prescribed, why, and to whom.

Issued in November, the new US guidelines call for more adults without heart disease to consider taking the medications in order to prevent future health problems — namely adults with a 7.5 percent or higher risk of a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years.

[djean111]

1. Hmmmmm.....if only I was not so cynical......

"The most serious side effect of statins is diabetes, though some people also report muscle weakness, weight gain and memory loss."
And - there ya go - more prescriptions! As far as I can tell, diabetes is a veritable treasure-trove for drug companies.

"Earlier this week, researchers said statins may also have the beneficial side effect of helping fight erectile dysfunction in older men."
Which is, of course, a fantastic selling point. Do the same people make Viagra?
Totally bizarre and creepy how men are encouraged to have sex, soft-porn commercials, Viagra advertising - but there is a steady effort to deprive women of birth control and child-bearing choice.

[Wilms]

8. Statins are troublesome, and can lead to cognitive problems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statin#Controversy

[snappyturtle]

2. I view this as a desperate effort on the behalf of the drug companies

New studies are showing that it is the inflammation of the blood vessels that needs
attention basically through diet to aid in reducing heart disease.

See: http://www.sott.net/article/242516-Heart-surgeon-speaks-out-on-what-really-causes-heart-disease

Google for more.

[Live and Learn]

3. The good news is that they can now forgo their high blood pressure meds.

http://news.health.com/2014/03/29/new-blood-pressure-guidelines-may-take-millions-of-americans-off-meds/

New Blood Pressure Guidelines May Take Millions of Americans Off Meds
March 29, 2014

SATURDAY, March 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) — About 5.8 million American adults may no longer be prescribed drugs to treat high blood pressure under recently revised guidelines, according to a new study.

In February, the Eighth Joint National Committee released controversial guidelines that relaxed blood pressure goals in adults 60 and older from 140/90 to 150/90. The guidelines also eased blood pressure targets for adults with diabetes and kidney disease.

In this study, researchers used blood pressure data collected from more than 16,000 Americans between 2005 and 2010 to assess the impact of the revised guidelines.

The proportion of adults considered eligible for medication to treat high blood pressure would fall from about 41 percent to 32 percent, the authors concluded in the study published online March 29 in the Journal of the American Medical Association and presented Saturday at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

[newfie11]

4. Not buying it

Last edited Sun Mar 30, 2014, 08:37 AM - Edit history (1)

I wouldn't trust big pharma to tell the truth if their life depended on it

[Demeter]

7. And DEFINITELY not If MY life depended on it!

Not to mention my financial well-being.

It's not about the people, it's about profits.

[mucifer]

5. Go vegan! Just a thought.

Lots of people go down on meds when they eat healthier. It worked for Bill Clinton.

[newfie11]

6. +1