More Red Flags Raised Over Statins

• Bayer's statin, Baycol, was pulled from the market in 2001 after 31 deaths were reported from a harmful side effect of the drug known as rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down and could result in kidney failure.

• Doctors recommended taking AstraZenica's Crestor off the market after cases of rhabdomyolysis surfaced in trials of people taking 80-milligram doses

• The FDA turned down the requests for over the counter prescriptions for Mevachor and Pravachol stating there wasn't enough documentation that the drugs were safe to take without a doctor's supervision.

• Other experts stated that non-prescription statins were not a good idea because of all of the variables that needed to be taken into account such as possible health risks and benefits before a person decided to take them

One doctor explained that the statins worked by preventing the formation of cholesterol and that it helped reduce LDL cholesterol, which is considered the "bad" cholesterol. Past studies on statins have shown that they had the ability to lower the levels of C-reactive protein, a substance found in the blood that acts as an indicator of inflammation and heart disease.

What Statin Supporters Had to Say

• A spokesperson for AstraZenica discounted those who wanted Crestor removed from shelves and claimed that it was just as safe as other statins They also claimed that it was the hardest working statin in terms of decreasing LDL cholesterol levels

• The first over-the-counter statin, simvastatin (Zocor), will be available in the United Kingdom toward the end of summer

• Merck spokesman is once again pushing for the sales of an over-the-counter statin called Mevachor, a 20-milligram statin

USA Today June 28, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Statins rake in about $15 billion per year in the United States, so I guess it is no surprise that the drug companies feel the need to expand their market even more. The drug companies have been able to fund research supporting their wonder drugs may help prevent a range of other ills, including: Alzheimer's Glaucoma Macular degeneration Breast, colon and prostate cancers Come on give me a break. Isn't $15 billion enough? They did this in the past when they manipulated the lowering of national cholesterol guidelines to start their drugs. If it were up to them, they would sell their drug in bulk to all local municipalities so we could have it in our water supply. They have brainwashed the doctors so effectively that last week I had a new patient's wife call me from the intensive care unit because her husband had a heart attack and they wanted to put him on Lipitor even though his cholesterol was only 150. Absolute insanity. Fortunately, information can make a difference and my message is getting out that this is absolute nonsense. If you type in statins in Google there are a quarter of a million hits that come up, but my page explaining the truth about statins is number one. Folks, just remember that virtually no one needs to be on these drugs, including Dr. Agatston. You may or may not realize that the clueless author of the South Beach Diet actually takes statin drugs. Apparently he is not aware that an optimized version of the low-carb diet he promotes can normalize cholesterol in well over 98 percent of people. Related Articles: Statins - Is the Danger is the Dose? Crestor and Other Statins: Are They Really Worth the Risk? The Baycol Recall: How Safe Is Your Statin? Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Use Does Not Meet Guidelines Lunatic Recommendations For Statin Drug Use Cholesterol Drugs Increase Risk of Nerve Damage