The famed JUPITER trial has blinded many Americans, as well as health professionals.
"JUPITER was so big because it is the first trial to show that statin therapy reduces cardiovascular events in a primary-prevention setting in people who have low to normal LDL cholesterol but are at an increased risk based on an elevated marker of inflammation," lead investigator Dr Erin Donnelly Michos (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD) told heartwire. "When JUPITER came out, we wanted to know just how many people fit into this category."
One conclusion drawn from this research is reflected by this statement made by heartwire, "Overall, 3.9 million men 50 years and older and 2.6 million women 60 years and older are now potential candidates for statin therapy."
I see a few flaws in this conclusion.
- Obviously, what is considered to be a "normal LDL cholesterol level" is too high for a disease-free life, and the cholesterol guidelines need to be re-evaluated.
- Prescribing statin medication, or any medication to lower cholesterol for that matter, is not addressing the cause of the problem. These 6.5 million need nutrition education and lifestyle intervention to lower LDL cholesterol and the inflammatory marker hsCRP.
- Statin drugs DO NOT eliminate the risk of having a heart attack. A 2004 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that despite using huge doses of statins to successfully reduce cholesterol levels, one out of four of the subjects experienced a new cardiovascular event or died within thirty months. Statin drugs without diet change is not the answer.
I conclude from the JUPITER results that we need to spend less time padding the pharmaceutical industry's pocket and more time educating people about lifelong nutrition, regular exercise, stress management, and smoking cessation.
You might also enjoy these:
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• Prevent and reverse heart disease, cancer, and diabetes -- start now!
• Study proves cholesterol guidelines not low enough
Comments
ponder the REAL reason the Jupiter trial was stopped early. Flogging a dead horse: cholesterol is still the bugbear while innocent. Statins the silver bullet. Taurus Excretus! The article is on its way a fair bit closing on the facts. This is great! The writer may want to investigate deeper and cast a wider net. The article born of that travail will be longer, educational and helpful. Vested interests, ignorance, naiveté, deceptions masquerading as good science is a formidable enemy. Our toil, care and diligence and sharing what we found goes a long way shortening the reign of this despicable Juggernaut out of control.- It is scary how easily and effectively the medical profession accepts claims of big pharma on faith! The guidelines written is another issue worth delving into in fact essential. Ignorance, corruption, lack of funds, and more what one finds below the surface. It must be frustrating and heart breaking for those dedicated doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals who approach their profession as a vocation it used to be.
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