Author: Dr. Gary Huber

Statins in the drinking water

Statins in the drinking water? We are getting closer to absolute lunacy as another report came out suggesting that anyone over the age of 40 with 1 risk factor for heart disease should automatically be placed on a statin cholesterol lowering drug. Interestingly the report suggests not doing this to folks OVER the age of 75. That’s because these drugs cause increased risk for diabetes, loss of coenzyme Q10, liver toxicity and cognitive decline, which is accelerated in older people.

These kinds of recommendations sell more drugs but do nothing to promote reduction of the true cause of heart disease, which is lifestyle. Lifestyle changes and supportive elements such as fish oil have been shown in head to head study to be far more powerful than statins. This study, published in JAMA, reviews dosing and prescribing of statins and doesn’t extend a single keystroke in discussion of diet, exercise, stress and sleep or other lifestyle factors. This report has no apparent interest in reducing heart disease but a strong agenda to sell statin drugs. It ignores the side effects commonly reported and well documented in other significant research stating that they didnt feel there was significant problem. Really? That’s a bold move simply ignoring dozens of other well-documented studies proving statin risk and side effects.

Yes, there are people who require a statin to lower their LDL but the broad use that is increasingly recommended is a foolish approach that wastes resources and increases risk of side effect. The studies show that to stop just ONE heart attack you would have to treat 50 people with a statin. While the use of lifestyle changes would have dramatic impact in reducing heart attacks. The largest statin study on the planet followed 4 million people over 5 years and showed that over that time frame even though statin use tripled, the rate of heart attacks show little to no change. (Nilsson, Molstad, et al. 2011). The Nilsson study represents the largest study ever done and it wasn’t even included in this task force review. Why? Not sure but it is a glaring defect in their argument.

I am in favor of intelligent statin use and intelligent lifestyles. Randomly blowing statins over an ever-widening circle of people is not going to lead to a significant reduction in heart disease. It will result in a windfall profit for pharmaceutical companies. It will result in an increase in diabetes which major studies have already proven, and it will lead to ample side effects. The sole purpose of this post is to make it known that we are being brain washed into believing that everyone should be on a statin. If we don't recognize that other approaches to heart disease prevention work BETTER than statins then one day soon we will see an article on our community ballot to approve putting statins in the water supply. It’s disappointing to see this trend but we do have a collective voice. Our actions matter.