The Statin Scam

Several lines that say a lot from Dr Lundell's post on Spacedoc.net about - yes you guessed it - statins. I have added emphasis by bolding key (to me) words.

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Treating or attempting to prevent heart disease with statin drugs is dangerous and fraudulent for two reasons:


1.) Serious, deadly and disabling side effects which are largely ignored by the medical profession and suppressed by the statin makers. These side effects have been brilliantly documented by Dr. Duane Graveline and other brave doctors who dare to speak out against the official religion of cholesterol and saturated fat.

2.) Continued focus on this ineffective treatment diverts attention from truly understanding and controlling heart disease, and gives patients a false sense of security that prevents them from making the lifestyle changes that would truly prevent and reverse heart disease.

Consider also the following:

1.) Statins have not been proven to help any woman of any age!

2.) Statins have not been proven to help anyone over the age of 65!

3.) The only group of patients who may, and I emphasize "may" get any benefit, are middle aged men who have had a previous heart attack.

It is amazing to see all the medical literature that is funded by the statin makers and delivered to doctors' offices by enthusiastic young drug reps that purport to prove that statins are beneficial.

Read the doctors full article here
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I fall under point 3 above. 'I may have gotten some benefit...'

My cholesterol which was controlled over the course of my life by nearly every statin then available (including baycol - fortunate for my dear wife, it was for only a short period of time) was low enough to make the most skeptical cardiolodist grin like a chesire cat and pat himself on the back for 'saving' another potential CVD patient from what they really do most (CABG, stent etc).

I responded well on their primary objective. Life saving Zocor, Lipitor, Baycol, Mevacor etc - caused my cholesterol to take the sought for plunge to safety well below the current target. What a model I was. With a mother who was a pharmacist and numerous doctors in the family I was a well behaved obedient patient. Heck, I didn't want to die young (I was in my late 20's or early 30's when I got on the S wagon) of something so easily treated by not taking my pill. I knew the miracle power of the pill.

The aspect I didn't do quite as well on was the persistent muscle aches which prevented sleep and were, I was told, a small price to pay in trade for the most 'tremendous benefit' -  prevention of 'The widowmaker'. The main thing I was told about these aches was they were NOT related to the medication but other age related things that you couldn't do anything about. They hadn't yet invented the aging prevention pill.

Here and now let me admit that I have experimented with drugs. Oops now it's out. Yes I did. I'm happy to say I did! No! Not that kind. But the kind associated with this topic.

Experiment: Without full disclosure, I cold turkey stopped taking my statins. (don't tell my dr - I withheld that info from him. After all this was MY experiment and I knew what he would say 'don't stop we'll try another one. There are lots of flavors'.)
Result: After a period of time I could sleep better due to lack of aching muscles. Sure, it could have been some other non-controlled or confounding factor skewing my perception.
Repeatablity: I'm a skeptic but after I was admonished to 'think of my wife and go back on the S wagon', and complying, the aches returned. Second time, perhaps with a bit more attention to what was going on, ooooh, same 'non-related' outcome.

There were some other tests of sneaking off the wagon.

The 'experimental' phase was undertaken at least partly because after roughly 10 years on statins I was rushed into the ER and the EKG tech spotted the (don't breathe this out loud as he did causing him to receive strong admonishment from those agast at his breech in front of the patient) 'toumbstone effect' on my trace. This shouldn't happen - I'm protected!

Subsequent History: MI(cabg), MI(stent), MI, drug free, MI(stent), MI(stent in a stent), GIST, basal cell carcinoma. Note: the last two items 'may' have nothing to do with long term drug (statin) use/abuse.

Darn! All that with near ideal cholesterol. What gives here?

When will the real honest true truth become mainstream? I sincerely thank those who try like Dr Lundell and Dr Duane Graveline and others who are on the front lines trying to breech the wall.