STATINS ????

Jez6345789

Hi 
I have been offered repeatedly for the 4 or 5 years and after listening to a BBC Radio Science documentary in the past I have always remained sceptical of their effectiveness as a preventative and told my doctor so. 

As I remember it the premise was that at some point in the 90's the UK turned up way down the global league table for coronary and stroke prevention and survival. Said Government of the day made pledges to improve our position. 

Trusty Chief Medical officer and a few diligent civil servants dusted off a drug company bottom draw study on the use of Statins which prescribed Statins to people at risk in the Glasgow area and the results was a decrease in cardiac and stroke events. This study and some lobbying from big pharma companies led to Civil Servants reporting to ministers that if they rapidly adopted this strategy across the country they could see some quick jumps up the league table without a massive expensive campaign to attempt to change lifestyles etc etc. 

A later independent review of the reports science drew different conclusions that there may be an effect but it was more to do with the statins controlling the hereditary effects from the high prevalence of historical inflammatory diseases like Scarlet Fever and other epidemics that swept like wildfire through the closely built tenements of industrial areas.

I believe there are now larger European studies that show preventative benefits but how tainted they are by big Pharma lobbying to maintain the millions being prescribe every year I don't know. 

I have not gone back and revisited all this so please don't take the above as Gospel.

martinw

ennspek said:

martinw said:

axisus said:

...... a pal at work who used to be a heart surgeon.

Just curious, what does he do now? What do you do after being a heart surgeon?

Make amps?

I don't think they've got the patience and dexterity

axisus said:

martinw said:

axisus said:

...... a pal at work who used to be a heart surgeon.

Just curious, what does he do now? What do you do after being a heart surgeon?

Medical research centre. We have a lot of ex-clinical people, they find the work to have a more far reaching effect that patching up people, although admittedly some of them miss the hands-on helping aspect.

I just had this image, maybe if you were a brick layer or something, talking to a mate at tea break:

"Heart surgeon? That's what I used ter do...30 years, man and boy. Hardest game in the world, that is, and no mistake."

BigLicks67

My Dad reckons that statins have resulted in the untimely demise of several of his golf club buddies and refuses to take them.

57Deluxe

http://www.wilko.com/content/ebiz/wilkinsonplus/invt/0333261/0333261_l.jpg

ThePrettyDamned

They're good for some, bad for others. Same as every medicine on the planet. 

It's true that doctors tend not to think people will change their lifestyle. Why would they? There is no incentive. You'll get life saving treatment and surgery anyway. Plus you get to eat shit and be lazy. 

My dad was prescribed statins but fixed his diet up instead. It worked - but needs maintaining and regular checkups. The doctor was pretty surprised he managed because people tend not to bother.