The Truth About Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

* 42 million American have high cholesterol

* High cholesterol is a by product of lifestyle decisions

* 16 million of them use drugs containing statins.

* Statins, the most active component in cholesterol lowering drugs like Lipitor, are linked to memory loss, irregular heartbeat, and crippling muscle pain.

* Statins are widely used by patients that could do better to make a few lifestyle changes than to control their cholesterol with drugs.

* Some health plans give doctors financial incentives to lower patients’ cholesterol. Lipitor is viewed as a quick and easy way to do that.

* Lipitor markets a higher dose than necessary to help physicians, not patient. “If you ask most doctors, they’d say, ‘I want a drug that’s convenient, where I don’t have to do additional blood testing.’ I’m not saying it’s right for consumers, but drug companies are marketing for doctor convenience.” says Lipitor’s former campaign marketing manager.

* Lipitor is now approved for use in teenagers with high cholesterol.

* Why teach our youth to manage a lifestyle problem with a drug.

* It makes no sense to use a drug to alter what life style creates.

* Most people can control your cholesterol with diet, exercise, and specific nutritional supplements.

* There is little evidence showing that lowering your cholesterol will lengthen your life. High cholesterol is not always a risk factor for heart disease.

Laise, Eleanor. “The Lipitor Dilemma.” Smart Money. Nov. 2003
“The Cholesterol Myth” by T.J. Moore. http://karan.heskco.com/Pages/myth.htm