Keep Taking The Tablets....

[Gromit]

// Millions of people over the age of 50 risk harming their health if they follow new NHS guidance telling them to take statins, leading doctors have warned the Health Secretary.

Proposals to advise 12 million people to take the drugs could have “worrying” consequences because the plans were borne out of an “overdependence” on studies funded by the pharmaceutical industry, they say. //

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10890871/New-NHS-statins-guidance-risks-harming-patients.html

I thought it was the doctors who are needlessly prescribing them in the first place?

Will you now stop taking statins?

[woofgang]

Its difficult. I agree with the doctors that the research on statins may be skewed in favour of their use, BUT GP's are also under the cosh to keep their prescribing costs down. personally i don't take statins, but it has never been suggested that i should. If it was, I would need a VERY convincing argument to do so....or any other preventative medicine for that matter.

[Sqad]

Difficult and very confusing:

sqad's uptake.

1) If you have already had a heart attack or stroke...then TAKE statins.
2) If you have a family history of strokes or heart attacks...then TAKE statins.
3) If you need to take statins but have serous and debilitating side effects, then a change in statins or a non statin drug should be considered e.g Ezitrol.
4) If you do not fit into the above categories,even if you are over 65 yrs, than DO NOT take statins.

That is just MY take on the subject.

5) If my cholesterol was "questionable" but i didn't fit into the above categories, then I wouldn't take statins.

It is worrying that some members of NICE have affiliations to drug companies.

[ToraToraTora]

I never started.

[anotheoldgit]

Is it just scaremongering?

This article seems to think so.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10834587/Statins-scaremongering-risks-lives-heart-doctor-warns.html

[woofgang]

ooo disagreement amongst medics! how unusual and unheard of!! (eyeroll)

[maggiebee]

Sorry to be really thick but can someone please tell me what statins are? I keep hearing about them but am never sure exactly what they are and what they do.

[Mamyalynne]

Put simply, they lower Cholesterol levels in the blood.

NHS

//Statins are a group of medicines that can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood.//

[Mamyalynne]

My take on this is that a lot of the progress in medicine has been accompanied by a 'tick box' system - age/weight/cholesterol/BP etc

The drive to get most on Statins who are aged 50 plus worries me somewhat.

I do agree with Sqad that the primary reasons should be ones own history and close family history of Stroke and Heart attack.

[Sqad]

maggie...YES...in a nutshell.

Cholesterol in the blood stream seems to have been identified as the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Statins break down cholesterol and hence reduce the chances of heart attacks and strokes.

[maggiebee]

Thanks Mamya, now understand.

[DrFilth]

maggiebee have a read

http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cholesterol

[Sqad]

Good post by mamy.........unfortunately we are now in an era of "tick box" medicine.

[McMouse]

I take statins and over the years both dose and compound have been changed to be in harmony with the cocktail of other meds to manage cardiac, respiratory and vascular issues. This has resulted in reducing side-effects. No, I will not be stopping statins.

[maggiebee]

Thanks Sqad and DrF. Have read the article and now have a better understanding. Have never had my cholesterol checked and am now in my late 60s. Is this something I should have checked out?

[Sqad]

maggie

\\\\and am now in my late 60s. Is this something I should have checked out?\\

You are a woman......late 60's, one presumes in good health, no family history of heart attacks or strokes...............NO, I wouldn't have a blood test for cholesterol.

If it was normal.....no statins required.
If it was borderline......no statins required.
If it was high........no statins required (in my opinion.)

[maggiebee]

Thanks Sqad - I'm in very good health - take after my dad and he lived to 95.

[whiskeryron]

Amongst a whole list of drugs,I have been taking Simvastatin for quite a long time now & I feel that my daily cocktail is necessary & has helped to keep me alive so no I will not be stopping them. Stop listening to all these rumours & follow your GP's advice.

[Scylax]

With a blood-cholesterol level of 4.1, I was prescribed Simvastatin. From the 3rd. week I suffered serious muscle cramps in my calves. Not only were they painful ++ but were incapacitating. A reduced daily dosage followed by a change in type of statin did nothing to help. My GP seemed unsympathetic so I declared UDI and stopped taking them. The cure was worse than the disease, in my case.
For 2 years now I've been pain-free and bless the day I discontinued this intolerable medication. Ditto for all beta-blockers.....

[cupid04]

Mr.c refused to take them and luckily has managed to keep cholesterol down with diet change.

[Peter Pedant]

scylax - basically the GPs are saying the same thing - they see far more side effects than the research suggests.

An ivory tower prof from NICE was laying about himself with a pick axe handle basically telling the GPs he would cosh them if they didnt damn well do as he said...

GP was saying the benefit was minimal for the new cohort...