Statins May Scramble Memory
CategoriesAdding to the long list of side effects of statin drugs, a charge was made by Dr. Golomb that statins may "hamper the brain's performance and trigger other serious problems." She is leading an independent clinical trial to find out what harm statins may be doing. CBS talks of "mind boggling effects" of the statin drugs and relates the story of Jim Matthews, who found himself reeling "struck by cognitive chaos and confusion".
Amid polemics over the statin drugs' safety, both Britain and the US put some of the statins on free sale as over-the-counter drugs, apparently to relieve the immense strain these drugs are causing on public health spending. The Lancet has criticized the move to allow over the counter sales of Zocor in the UK, saying that "In the absence of evidence of the overall mortality benefits of OTC simvastatin, it is difficult to avoid concluding that the motive behind the Government's decision is saving money. Statins are currently prescribed to about 1.8 million people in the UK, costing the NHS £700 million a year."
Of course everyone seems to be overlooking the vital role nutrients play in heart disease, especially vitamin C, which animals manufacture in abundance but humans are unable to synthesize. A new book, "Ascorbate - The Science of Vitamin C" describes the mechanism by of this important nutrient in the prevention of heart disease.
While statin drugs are good business - Pfizer alone earns $ 9 billion a year - they are not what one could call "great value for money". We have not seen any serious reduction in heart disease, despite spending billions and losing our memory, our muscles and perhaps - our patience. Why not look into natural ways of prevention? Do we have to wait for Health Authorities to tell us? Good luck!
Statins' Mind-Boggling Effects
O'FALLON, Illinois, May 24, 2004
Dangers Of Statin Drugs
(CBS NEWS)
Some doctors are so high on statins, they seem to think most everyone should take them, that there's no down side. Lipitor's maker even says it may help Alzheimer's patients.
(CBS) When Jim Matthews needed to slash his cholesterol and heart attack risk, he joined the millions taking the world's top-selling drug, Lipitor.After five weeks, he was struck by cognitive chaos and confusion.
All of a sudden, he found himself asking: "Did I go get the mail or did I just think I was going to go get the mail? Did I give my dog her thyroid pill, or did I just think I gave the dog the thyroid pill?"
He couldn't function for hours.
When he came back to his senses, he suspected Lipitor was to blame, but only found one glowing report after another on Lipitor and similar drugs - all called statins.
In fact, some doctors are so high on statins, they seem to think most everyone should take them, that there's no down side. Lipitor's maker even says it may help Alzheimer's patients.
But researcher Dr. Beatrice Golomb warns the studies generating the bulk of the positive press were funded by the companies that make the drugs, like Pfizer, which earns $9 billion a year from Lipitor.
"I made the decision that I really didn't want to take money from the drug industry," says Golomb.
Funded by the government and not the drug makers, Golomb is taking an independent look at studies already done on statins, pinpointing severe muscle problems, which Pfizer has disclosed, and cognitive dysfunction -- not mentioned in patient leaflets.
"We have people who have lost thinking ability so rapidly that within the course of a couple of months they went from being head of major divisions of companies to not being able to balance a checkbook and being fired from their company," says Golomb, an assistant professor or medicine at the University of California in San Diego.
Golomb says statins do help the heart, but may also hamper the brain's performance and trigger other serious problems. She's leading an independent clinical trial to find out what harm statins may be doing. The results should be out in a few months.
Pfizer told us Lipitor's safety is supported by peer reviewed articles and scores of studies,"including the most extensive statin clinical trial program ever conducted." Pfizer "collects all available safety information...and shares (it) with regulatory authorities worldwide."
That may be right for most patients, but Matthews isn't looking for a repeat of his mental meltdown. He's taking a new tactic: trying to tame his cholesterol with diet and exercise
"Up with the good cholesterol, down with the bad," he says.
See also related:Transient Global Amnesia – A Side Effect Of Statin Treatment
UK: Statins Over The Counter Despite Little Evidence of Health Benefit
Statins: 'Revolutionary' Study Won't Arrest Decline
Cholesterol and heart attacks - Study to save statins
Ascorbic Acid could lower health care cost - Atomic Scientist says
Cholesterol drug warning issued
Smart Money: The Lipitor Dilemma
There's little doubt that the world's best selling prescription medicine saves lives. But as more and more patients link the cholesterol pill to memory loss and crippling muscle pain, some doctors are starting to ask: Is America overdosing on Pfizer's wonder drug?Here is a pertinent comment from Jenny Thompson of HSI Baltimore on the Statins-over-the-counter decision the UK has taken recently:
Easy as O.T.C.Health Sciences Institute e-Alert
May 25, 2004
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When the needs of a government are in sync with the needs of one of the largest drug companies in the world, it's a win-win situation for everyone.
Well, not exactly everyone. Can you guess who gets the short end of the stick in this situation? You don't have to be a brain surgeon to figure out that consumers are going to lose. And while the average Joe may end up opening his wallet (as the drug companies and government prosper), the real problem here is all about health.
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Goodbye, middleman
-----------------------------------------Just days ago, Dr. John Reid, the UK Health Secretary made it official: Backed by the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the cholesterol-lowering statin drug Zocor will soon be available over-the-counter (OTC) in 10 mg doses. The UK will be the only country in the world where a statin drug is available without a prescription.
Last year, the UK patent for Zocor ran out, so going OTC will provide a huge boost for Merck & Co., the manufacturer of the drug. And this idea apparently wasn't a hard sell to the UK government bean counters. If enough patients purchase the OTC statin, eventually OTC may become the norm for statins. And when doctors stop writing statin prescriptions, the National Health Service (NHS) will save hundreds of millions by not having to foot the bill.
According to Reuters Health, 1.5 million Britons are currently taking statin drugs, at a cost to the NHS of about 750 million pounds each year.
All of this is just a matter of doing business, of course. Drug companies, just like all companies, work situations to their advantage to turn a profit. But in this case, the bottom-line interests of corporations and the government will reveal the potential dangers of statin drugs by cutting out the middlemen: doctors.
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Miracle mirage
---------------------------------------Zocor may cause muscle pain or weakness, as well as liver problems, according to the Zocor web site (zocor.com). The site also notes that, "Your doctor may do blood tests before and during treatment with Zocor to check for liver problems. To avoid serious side effects, discuss with your doctor medicine or food you should avoid while on Zocor."
But when Zocor Heart-Pro (the OTC brand name) becomes available this summer, there will be no doctor standing between the drug and the patient. According to the UK newspaper The Independent, pharmacists will ask questions of prospective customers, but no blood tests or cholesterol tests will be performed.
Of course, all responsible patients will tell their doctors if they're using Zocor Heart-Pro, and all responsible doctor
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