The Truth About Statins: Risks and Alternatives to Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

This is one of the best books every written about the dangers of statin drugs, how to REALLY interpret the results of statin drug clinical research, and the overlooked dangers of prescribing statin drugs, particularly for WOMEN. The side effects of statins are WAY worse for women than men. This book is written by a total expert on this field: Dr. Barbara Reed is an experienced physician who has run a women's cardiology center, taught at a prestigious medical school, and who has direct experience conducting clinical medical studies. If you are wondering whether you should take statin drugs, or if your doctor is pressuring you to take statin drugs, READ THIS BOOK FIRST. It's full of objective analysis of statin medical research, and also highlights that many of the research studies were paid for by statin drug manufacturers. Don't take statins until you read this book. It's fantastic.

I was looking for a book on statins written by someone with the credentials and wherewithal to provide an unbiased treatment of the subject - one that I could trust. I believe the author, Barbara Roberts, M.D., is such a candidate. She is director of the Women's Cardiac Center at the Miriam Hospital in Providence R.I. In her book, she provides us with the information we need to know to make an informed decision about the use of these drugs. If you are taking statin drugs or plan to, I would highly recommend you read this book. It has an absolute wealth of very important information.She begins by introducing us to the lingo of the world of cholesterol reduction - metabolic syndrome, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, ASCVD, hard and soft end points, and so on. Tables are provided to list the major risk factors and the risks that determine LDL cholesterol goals. Using these tables and something called the Framingham risk score (she provides a web address for the calculator), one can determine if the established guidelines recommend treatment. What I found interesting was that doctors are basically under obligation to prescribe drugs to a patient if the guidelines indicate - lest they be sued should something happen if nothing were prescribed. Also some doctors may prescribe statins even if the guidelines don't indicate such. Know the guidelines.Another interesting thing was the results of six secondary prevention trials (where patients have cardiovascular disease - CVD) and three primary prevention trials (where patients have no signs of CVD). You will find that what is called "absolute risk reduction" was only 7 percent in the secondary trials and only 1 to 2 percent in the primary trials. Compare this to the "relative risk reduction," which is usually quoted in the literature, of 30 percent and 37 to 44 percent respectively. Basically this is saying, in absolute terms, that your risk of a hard end point (think heart attack, stroke) is not all that much improved by taking cholesterol drugs according to these trials. Caution: never stop taking medication without consulting your doctor first, no matter what you read.On the positive side, Roberts shows that statins do lower LDL, combat inflammation, improve the function of the inner lining of arteries, and reduce blood clot tendency. Some people need these drugs for sure. But there are serious side effects to consider. Roberts devotes an entire chapter to the common side effects. Some that she discusses are: unmasking of previously undiagnosed conditions, rhabdomyolysis, tendon damage, joint problems, effects on liver, effects on nervous system, nerve damage, risk of cancer, risk of diabetes, and more. Her research has showed that "the authors of statin studies and their sponsors in Big Pharma tend to hype the benefits and downplay the harm." The waters are further muddied by the billions of dollars of profit at stake. With so much money on the line, it is hard not to believe that the information we receive will be biased.In the chapter on gender differences and statin use, Roberts reveals the results of various large studies that studied statin use in men and women. One major trial was the JUPITER trial; it was touted as the first primary prevention trial to show stain benefit in women - or did it really? Dr. Roberts shows us some of the major deficits or anomalies in this trial. If I had the space here, I would describe them because what I read is absolutely incredible. This is a must read. Her final opinion: "The results of the JUPITER trial support concerns that commercially sponsored clinical trials are at risk of poor quality and bias." Looking at the studies carried out, it appears that for women, statins may reduce the risk of future recurrence of cardiovascular events, but for women under sixty-five with no established cardiovascular issues, there is zero evidence.In chapter 9, Roberts discusses the clinical research and "science" used to support stain use. She sums up the results of eleven primary prevention trials and three secondary trials. The results are very enlightening. It appears that the absolute risk reduction is puny in the primary prevention trials, but there appears to be a statistically significant reduction in absolute risk in those with existing cardiovascular disease. Even then we are talking only a few percent. What was interesting was that Big Pharma publishes the relative risk reduction when discussing the benefits of the drugs, such as heart attack prevention (this produces more impressive numbers), but chooses to use absolute risk reduction values when reporting the adverse effects of the drugs (this produces the appearance of less risk).Should you be on statin drugs? I believe this is a decision between you and your doctor, but I would recommend including the knowledge contained in this book. It can be a lifesaver.

The author is a well qualified to make sense of the research that has been done on the benefits and risks of statins, and provides a balanced overview. Her emphasis on the relatively greater risks for women of using statins does not eclipse the warnings that apply to males as well. Perhaps her greatest contribution, however, is the detailed exposure of the degree to which Big Pharma dominates the research and product approval. If anyone truly believes that the medical profession is not corrupted by all the favors lavished on them by pharmaceutical companies, they are deeply self-deluded! I, for one, have witnessed this phenomenon over many years of professional experience... practices that would be regarded criminal conduct inside the beltway! I wonder how much of the pressure to cut public funding for basic research through NIH has been driven by the enormously powerful pharmaceutical lobby.

I must admit to being a bit of a crank when it comes to statin drugs. Whenever I was on them, I would experience muscle aches, but they weren't severe and I put that down to minor hypochondria on my part. But I became suspicious when I went off them at one point and experienced a small but significant weight loss. And then, when I went back on them, the weight came right back. Research into the subject of statins included this book, which is a real eye-opener.Dr. Roberts is not some New Age internet guru. She is a respected physician and teacher, the head of a Women's Cardiovascular Institute in Providence, RI. She is affiliated with Brown University. Her book is a clear-eyed look at the history and science of statins. What we learn from her book is that the glossy image of statin drugs is the result of voodoo mathematics and heavy-duty marketing.Voodoo mathematics? Well, to oversimplify, statistics can be manipulated to create the impression you want to create. For instance, if I were to say to you that Drug A will decrease your chance of dying of a heart attack by 30%, you'd say "Wow! A wonder drug! My chances of dying are decreased by 30%!" Who wouldn't want to take that drug, right? But if your chances of dying from a heart attack were only 1% to begin with, then your survival rate improvement is not 30% actually, it's more like one third of one percent. So how important is that one third of one percent when measured against the cost and potential health issues of taking a drug for the rest of your life? And the material gets really interesting when discussing women's health. Dr. Roberts provides evidence that not only do statins provide no protection to otherwise healthy women (with no comorbities to elevated cholesterol), but can actually be dangerous.Marketing: that's where things get really evil. I remember reading a statement by a pharmaceutical marketing executive. He noted that they didn't have a problem getting sick people to take their drugs and that success would be achieved when healthy people relied on their drugs. According to Dr. Roberts' analysis, statins are a perfect example of how pharmaceutical marketing creates just that situation where we now have doctors suggesting that, for instance, we should put statins in the water supply. She tells a compelling story of how doctors--some of them well-intentioned and others, not so much--have been co-opted by pharmaceutical companies into pushing drugs of dubious value and some real danger.If you are at all interested in the subject of statins, then this book is a must read and a great starting point for further research.

Great information about statin drugs.

As a Statin taker since 2006 after a stent in my heart, I started to get odd distractions, say I noticed I lost short-term memory whilst giving my training courses, then over the years, muscle discomfort or fatigue, tendinitis, gout, extreme pains in my shoulder blade, tingling in my left hand, etc, etc. Each time I went to my doctor I was treated for the symptoms I was presenting and not the cause. In January 2018 I was sent for another angioplasty and my Simvastatin was increased to 80mg per day. I began to slow down, walking like an old man, my ability to process information to follow ideas declined. I kept going back to my doctors who told me, what do I expect at 70 years old, I should retire from travelling the world giving talks and training sessions, and I was given more physical exercises to ease the pains. I started on occasions nearly passing out, going gray, ending-up in hospital twice. I decided to research statins, I had already had my doubts about them. I searched for literature on-line and books which gave facts that me as a non medical person would understand and was as much as possible unbiased. This book, one of many I am researching is well written by a real expert, yes I have researched the authors credentials, and analyses the trials and research undertaken with regards to statins. She shows how some of the results have been manipulated and misrepresented, how the pharmaceutical drug companies are in the business to make money, how the side effects are not being reported, and how our doctors are not looking at all the facts about statins before prescribing them to the general public. This is a book that is adding to my knowledge to make an informed decision on as to if I should continue taking statins drugs or find alternative solutions. A very good read and reference document.

Great book. Arrived quickly

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