Cholestrol: Drug company hype or good medicine ?

[10thzodiac]

Quite by accident I stumbled onto some eye opening statistics that leave me to wonder if Cholesterol hype is good medicine or another multi-billion dollar scam on the unsuspecting public ?

My wife has always been diagnosed with high cholesterol and for the most part my cholesterol has mostly been decent to excellent.

Well, the wife gets an allergic reaction (asthma) to all cholesterol medications. The doctor said the only other Rx available would be binders. I told him she gets constipated enough without having to take binders.

I asked the doctor what are the odds of something bad happening to her if she isn't medicated for her high cholesterol. He shocked me by saying, "If we treat seven (7) patients aggressively we only help one.

The doctor also gave us this web site, "Framingham Heart Study Prediction Score Sheets" (below) to ascertain the exact amount of our Coronary Heart Disease risk. Here is me, low cholesterol and I have a somewhat higher chance of Heart Disease than my wife with high cholesterol. Go figure...

BTW, if my wife could take cholesterol reducing drugs, it would only decrease her chances of Coronary Heart Disease by 2 %.
<O:p
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/framingham/riskabs.htm

[kato811]

her best bet is to watch what she eats and excersize

[greensideout]

It's "interesting" that when a pharm guy was appointed to the gov the acceptable high level was reduced. Humm, the company he left "just happened to have a new drug to help". The stat drugs are hard on most people and they can't take them. Ya, it's about money.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I vote 'scam' on this one. I've never been overly concerned with moderate levels of c/h. I think it's a drug company boondoggle, personally. Heck, years ago, weren't 'trans fats' supposed to be the cure for all our ills or something? Now they are getting banned.

I don't really follow food fads per se. I eat real butter, gibbles potato chips with lard, smoke ceegars, and enjoy my whiskey. I guess I'll either die of heart disease or live to a ripe old age. Who knows?

[greensideout]

I vote 'scam' on this one. I've never been overly concerned with moderate levels of c/h. I think it's a drug company boondoggle, personally. Heck, years ago, weren't 'trans fats' supposed to be the cure for all our ills or something? Now they are getting banned.

I don't really follow food fads per se. I eat real butter, gibbles potato chips with lard, smoke ceegars, and enjoy my whiskey. I guess I'll either die of heart disease or live to a ripe old age. Who knows?


I think you've got it figured out! :marine:

[jryanjack]

I've been on cholestrol medication for 2 years now - lowered the total cholestrol from 230 to 106 and just switched to a new drug as I was already taking the lowest dose possible of the old drug, apparently there is such a thing as too low of cholestrol. 230 is not really that high - though is obviously over the 200 mark which is the definition of high. However, one factor that the charts do not take into account is your family medical history. My father and grandfather both died of heart disease and had high cholestrol. So I would not consider this a scam by pharma to increase profits.

[Old Marine]

Cholestrol is no joke folks. In 1990 I found out that I had high cholestrol. How did I find out, you say? I had angina pain and went to the Dr. My arteries were 90% clogged. Went to Naval Hospital and had 5 vessels replaced. High cholestrol runs in my family. I have been on cholestrol statins since 1990.

Going into the hospital on 5 July for surgery on my Carotid Artery in my neck as it is now clogged up pretty bad.

[Ironrider]

My doc put me on Lipitor and on the first dose, I had every side effect there was. :sick: The ole lady was ready to take me to the hospital. there has gotta be a better way.

[jetdawgg]

Oatmeal is a very good treatment for cholesterol. Weekly doses in regularity will do you well. My cholesterol level is 129.

Excercise (walking/running) adds to better living conditions. Those drug companies just want your dollars as they rack up bills on R&D

[DWG]

I vote 'scam' on this one. I've never been overly concerned with moderate levels of c/h. I think it's a drug company boondoggle, personally. Heck, years ago, weren't 'trans fats' supposed to be the cure for all our ills or something? Now they are getting banned.

I don't really follow food fads per se. I eat real butter, gibbles potato chips with lard, smoke ceegars, and enjoy my whiskey. I guess I'll either die of heart disease or live to a ripe old age. Who knows?

I vote for Leprechaun for surgeon general! :thumbup:

[Sgt Leprechaun]

LOL.....I dont think they'd like me very much....I'm not much for chemical additives and all that jazz.....but by the same token, if people wanna eat that junk, then it's still a free country. I'm just sorta goofy that way :)

[Ironrider]

Hear Hear....Sgt MalLep for Surgeon Geneneral !!:marine: