Comments on: Doctors generally happy to treat people with statins who are very unlikely to benefit from them

By: Tracey Greenwood

Tracey Greenwood — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:08:11 +0000

I am female, in my early 40s, and I have also been urged to get my ‘cholesterol under control’. My cholesterol – at my last testing – was 5.0, lower than my younger sister AND my younger husband (and neither of them were told their cholesterol needed to be go ‘under control’). When I questioned this (while scratching my head) I was told that it will creep up if I don’t do something about it NOW…and was duly handed the usual NHS diet sheets about the virtues of eating “foods such as pasta, bread, grains and rice” for at least “one-third of every meal”, plus snacking on starchy foods between meals and making sure I was filling up on starchy foods to ward off hunger.

I guess the next step is being offered statins.

By: Liam

Liam — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:57:07 +0000

The benefits significantly outweigh the risks of statin use. If you have high cholesterol then you need to be medicated. Why do you think heart disease is so much lower now than it was 20 years ago? People are living longer because drugs like statins clean out their arteries. My doctor told me that as long as I take my statin (Simvastatin 20mg) everyday my arteries will stay clear. I also avoid dangerous foods such as eggs, butter, red meat and most dairy products. I eat plenty of whole grains and love sandwiches made with flavored soy and kelp. I also take a beta blocker and a calcium channel blocker (my BP was 131/64 my doctor said was way too high and that I was considered borderline hypertensive), now my BP is 109/50 which is right for me. I’m 36 and although I don’t exercise much I’m in very good health. I firmly believe that my medication regime is going to allow me to live many years heart disease free.

By: Sue Gooch

Sue Gooch — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:25:02 +0000

Dr. Briffa you say “we Doctors”, do you prescribe Statins even though you don’t believe a patient will benefit? Is this why GPs do so, because they feel they should, just in case? I often feel that medication is handed out “just in case” rather than because it’s justified. Despite my GP saying I was a “woman of mystery” because he had no answers for my bout of sudden, very painful, muscular spasms, he nevertheless offered me anti-inflammatories (despite my still taking lansoprazole for a suspected ulcer) and more painkillers. I declined both.

To make matters worse, after examination, he told me I have a palpable liver, said absolutely not when I said “doesn’t everyone” and left it at that. Dr. Google (I know!) suggests that this serious. This is the same GP who persuaded my husband, Type ll, that he really should take his statins! I despair.

By: Dave Jackson

Dave Jackson — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:35:41 +0000

This seems to be along the same lines as overuse of antibiotics in the past and almost certainly to some extent still now. Understandable in the past when information was not so quickly available and before the dangers of creating resistant bacteria was known. I guess there is the issue of assessing information to see what is reliable.

By: NM

NM — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:44:29 +0000

I don’t mean to be rude for the sake of it, and there are obvious exceptions (Dr Briffa, for example), but nearly all the GPs I have met in my life have been dullards: procedural, and sort of meta-lazy. I don’t think it’s unfair to say that a gentleman amateur who knows how to read randomised-controlled trials will, with a week of study, have greater perspicacity than the average GP.

Everyone I know has a story about a lazy GP misdiagnosis, some of which are amusing but plenty of which are frightening.

Saying this doesnt bring me any cheer: it’s frightening that this layer of listless bureaucratic mediocrity are now more than ever the inefficient bouncers and gate-keepers to the Health Service. I’d prefer to visit a good computer terminal and a well-trained statistician than a GP much of the time!

By: Lorna

Lorna — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:19:50 +0000

#SD: my experience, as a female, is that statins are the first thing a GP reaches for in a female who has raised cholesterol. My query is: why? Pressure on GPs? Financial inducements to prescribe statins? Lack of time/interest to investigate a very complex issue? Successful and cynical manipulation of research by ‘big pharma’? Whatever it is, we are all potential ‘patients’ if ‘medically- advised’ cholesterol levels continue to be reduced. And that is something that leads one towards a rather paranoid response to the medical establishment that is totally undesirable for long-term health.

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[Fan Club] LCHF Lifestyle - Page 259 - www.hardwarezone.com.sg — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:50:43 +0000

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By: PG

PG — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:23:04 +0000

Nice writeup. You might have also mentioned that not only are traditional cholesterol numbers of questionable importance, but also that the connection between dietary fats/cholesterol and blood lipid profiles are weak in the case of many people. Indeed, triglyceride levels are correlated with high GI carbs, as summarized here: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cardiovascular-disease/elevated-triglycerides-are-driven-by-carbohydrate-consumption/

Thanks again for all your posts – all very useful.

By: SD

SD — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:52:05 +0000

Dr Briffa,
Interesting article.. I was wondering if there is any research on treatment for women? Im 38, diagnosed with high cholestoral, low vitamin D and my cholestoral could be familial. Are there any thoughts on treatment for this type of patient? The focus seems to always be on middle aged males.

From my experiece so far, doctors seem to be keen to immediately advise going onto statins as a matter of course with little or no consideration of overall weight/health/lifestyle factors. There seems to be a myriad of opinions with little concensus which results in huge confusion for people in my situation. I would be interested to know your thoughts on this. Many thanks.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:48:45 +0000

The trouble is too many doctors get their information about cholesterol from statin salesmen, rather than the plethora of new and recent independent research. I questioned a GP about why the tests he suggested didn’t include LDL particle size (or trigylcerides) and he just gave me a blank stare, looked at the form and replied “it’s not on the form”. He was only too happy to prescribe statins on incomplete evidence so I declined the tests. Scary.

By: PhilT

PhilT — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:05:42 +0000

I had my cholesterol measured at a pharmacy rather than via my GP, in order to avoid being diagnosed with a statin deficiency 🙂

My total cholesterol was 5.05 but the Total/HDL ratio which features on the risk charts was pleasingly low.