FDA Approves Dangerous and Worthless Cholesterol Drug - Brownstein

FDA Approves Dangerous and Worthless Cholesterol Drug

by Dr. David Brownstein

On May 3, 2013, the FDA approved a Big Pharma Cartel founding member Merck drug Liptruzet.  Liptruzet is a combination drug of Zetia and Lipitor.  I wrote to you about the failure of Zetia in three separate blog posts.  They can all be found by clicking here:  http://blog.drbrownstein.com/?s=zetia.
Zetia is a failed drug.  It should never be prescribed and should have been pulled from the market years ago.  There is no excuse for any doctor prescribing Zetia for any condition.  Zetia works by blocking cholesterol absorption in the gut.  Conventional doctors believe that drug therapies that lower cholesterol levels reduce the risk of heart disease.  However, Zetia, which has been around for over 10 years, has never been shown to lower the risk of developing a heart attack or stroke.  Furthermore, Zetia has never been shown to prolong life.

Why the FDA would approve this combination of Zetia and Lipitor is beyond belief.  The previous combination of Zetia and Zocor, known as Vytorin, was proven to be a colossal failure in multiple studies—see my previous blog posts.

FDA’s action is a perfect example of why we spend more money on health care than any other people on the planet.  Liptruzet will cost $5.50 per pill.  This means a patient prescribed Liptruzet will spend over $2,000.00 per year on a worthless drug that will be associated with side effects such as muscle aches and pains, memory loss, and neurological disorders.  We take too many ineffective drugs that are too expensive.  Do all of these drugs translate into better healthcare outcomes?  Heck no.  As compared to every other wealthy Western country, we finish last or near the bottom on every single health indicator.  In Liptruzet’s case, there is no justifiable reason for the FDA to approve it.  This is another example, amongst many, of why the FDA should be disbanded.  The FDA gives false credibility to Big Pharma.

If you are on Zetia, I suggest talking to your doctor about stopping it.  Ask him/her for any studies showing a clinical benefit such as a significantly lowered risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, or increased longevity.  I can assure you that you won’t be getting any articles from your doctor since they don’t exist.   More information about cholesterol-lowering medications can be found in my book, Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do. 
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