Are statin drugs for reducing cholesterol really a good idea?

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

http://blogs.naturalnews.com/shooting-the-messenger/

 

This article was written by a freelance journalist who writes a lot about medical topics and is a member here (no, not because of taking psych drugs, but to get perspective on his stories.)

 

This morning he posted "Looking to talk to sufferers of pediatric bipolar disorder"

 

I started reading a few of the stories he has written and the naturalnews.com one above caught my eye. One of our Admins, Jemima, sustained damage from long term statin use. Her success story is here and a link to her intro topic is in there too. I always think of her whenever I hear someone is on one of those kinds of drugs. More meddling in the chemistry of the body by greedy pharma, you'll see when you read Patrick's link.

[compsports]

When my cholesterol tested very high on a physical in February even though all the relevant ratios were excellent, I gritted my teeth worrying that my PCP was going to push statins and I would have to argue with him about not wanting to take them.   Fortunately, because he was seeing contradictory research on whether I should be on them or not, he left the decision up to me and of course, you all know what that was.

 

If this had been my former PCP, she would have been pushing them big time in my opinion.    She worked for a major hospital system that was totally by the book while this PCP runs a solo practice and seems more capable of independent thought although he definitely isn't perfect by a long shot.

 

Yeah, I sadly remember Jemima's story.

 

I have a relative on them who has memory loss and I wonder if it is due to the statin being taken.   But discussing the issue would be an exercise in futility.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

(see what quoting the previous message does to the flow of the convo? Old habits hard to break...... now there's 3 copies of my original post to read through)

 
I think I posted somewhere in my thread about one of my early nursing jobs doing cholesterol testing and I have also heard throughout the years that high cholesterol does not cause heart attacks and strokes per se. IOW, artificially reducing cholesterol has not put a dent in morbidity or mortality in the folks who use them (unless pharma has paid for more favorable studies by now.)
 
I'll have to read Jemima's thread again to see how they found out it was the lipitor damaged her arms.
 
And I found a great link on Mercola's website how he changed his stance on lowering cholesterol and using statins:
 
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/09/what-happens-when-your-cholesterol-goes-too-low.aspx

[scallywag]

Interesting read, CW.  I've been doing some research on cholesterol levels, statins, and CHD risk because I think some problems my dad is having are caused by a statin he's taking and other problems are being masked by it.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Scally,

 

I had a friend once who's mother was on a statin. She had been very healthy up to that point till the doc got her started on the statin. Had not been taking any meds at all, and she was aged.

 

So she gets sicker and sicker and finally the daughter told her she had to stop taking the drug. Well, you can figure out what happened after that.

 

Drug merry-go-rounds can happen even if you aren't on psych drugs. Take a statin, get low bp. Take a bp drug, get dizzy. Take an anti-vertigo drug and get something else. Pretty soon you are on a boat load of stuff when all you originally went to the doc for was a hang nail.

 

There's stories like this everywhere....

[JanCarol]

The kerfuffle he posts about in Australia with the Catalyst ABC-TV 2-part series - I can confirm.

 

I watched it unfold.  I posted about it in my thread, and in other places around the site.

 

As I watched the shows on TV - I wish I'd kept them (we usually don't keep recordings of weekly programming) - because now they are banned, banned banned - I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Finally.  Someone was taking on Pharma.  Maryanne Demasi (okay, so she's a bit fluffy bunny with the Transcendental Meditation, but if you follow her on Twitter, she is backing up her research with research).

 

THEN, the following Monday night, Media Watch tore her to shreds.  The AMA and the Australian Heart Association had contacted the ABC and said it was life threatening to leave that episode in the archives.  The episodes usually run twice weekly - I think they got it pulled before the second running.

 

I was not aware that Dr. Norman Swan (also of the ABC, mostly on radio), who I normally have respect for, was one of the voices calling Catalyst and Demasi  "irresponsible and murderous."

 

Even the ABC - Media Watch - was turning on her.  They haven't fired her, but we've only seen her face a couple of times since then.  She's now the "girl who almost killed Catalyst."  Media Watch claimed that she didn't adequately present both sides of the story, that she only interviewed "alternative views" from people who had "Vested interests" in their views (like selling supplements).  

 

Demasi countered by saying, the mainstream view is readily available, and that the trend now is toward looking at inflammation in heart disease, and less so at cholesterol.  

 

Additionally, I have heard (also from ABC-TV "Media Watch" - later in the year) that she had made a Catalyst episode on the dangers of antidepressants, but it got pulled before it even went to air.  I'd love to get ahold of that film!  It's likely sitting in a can in the ABC basement, a week or more of her life, just as good as destroyed.

 

Again, if I'd known what I was seeing at the time, we would not have pushed the "delete" key on the PVR, and I would have a WMV to share with you.

 

It's good that this fellow has documented the battle, and interesting to me that it was a "shot heard round the world."

[scallywag]

JC, I wonder if the network has an agreement not to distribute *in ANY format*.   Sometimes companies will sell copies of published material to individuals who are willing to cover the costs of duplication.

 

Or perhaps an insider can duplicate the material and then leak it.  Hmmm, there's a good challenge: how to cultivate an insider.

[JanCarol]

Erm, it would take an insider.  ABC is State Run TV.  

 

If it's banned, it's banned.  (read Australian history of censorship for more information)

 

I have no way of knowing how to get it out - I'm hoping that Maryanne Demasi would leak it herself.

 

I don't have a Twit account, but hey - any of you Twits out there want to flood her Twitter with requests for the "Missing Catalyst Antidepressant Episode?"

[anonymous4317]

The kerfuffle he posts about in Australia with the Catalyst ABC-TV 2-part series - I can confirm.

 

I watched it unfold.  I posted about it in my thread, and in other places around the site.

 

As I watched the shows on TV - I wish I'd kept them (we usually don't keep recordings of weekly programming) - because now they are banned, banned banned - I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Finally.  Someone was taking on Pharma.  Maryanne Demasi (okay, so she's a bit fluffy bunny with the Transcendental Meditation, but if you follow her on Twitter, she is backing up her research with research).

 

THEN, the following Monday night, Media Watch tore her to shreds.  The AMA and the Australian Heart Association had contacted the ABC and said it was life threatening to leave that episode in the archives.  The episodes usually run twice weekly - I think they got it pulled before the second running.

 

I was not aware that Dr. Norman Swan (also of the ABC, mostly on radio), who I normally have respect for, was one of the voices calling Catalyst and Demasi  "irresponsible and murderous."

 

Even the ABC - Media Watch - was turning on her.  They haven't fired her, but we've only seen her face a couple of times since then.  She's now the "girl who almost killed Catalyst."  Media Watch claimed that she didn't adequately present both sides of the story, that she only interviewed "alternative views" from people who had "Vested interests" in their views (like selling supplements).  

 

Demasi countered by saying, the mainstream view is readily available, and that the trend now is toward looking at inflammation in heart disease, and less so at cholesterol.  

 

Additionally, I have heard (also from ABC-TV "Media Watch" - later in the year) that she had made a Catalyst episode on the dangers of antidepressants, but it got pulled before it even went to air.  I'd love to get ahold of that film!  It's likely sitting in a can in the ABC basement, a week or more of her life, just as good as destroyed.

 

Again, if I'd known what I was seeing at the time, we would not have pushed the "delete" key on the PVR, and I would have a WMV to share with you.

 

It's good that this fellow has documented the battle, and interesting to me that it was a "shot heard round the world."

 

From the link OP provided:

 

"Around the same time Dr. Abramson and his colleagues published their analysis in BMJ, the Australian science journalism television program Catalyst ran a two-part documentary, “Heart of the Matter,” produced and presented by Doctor Maryanne Demasi. Part 1, “Dietary Villains,” questioned conventional wisdom about the role of saturated fat in heart disease, and Part 2, “Cholesterol Drug Wars,” argued that the benefits of statins have been oversold and the harms downplayed. Once again, a firestorm of controversy ensued, with demands that the documentary be retracted. Australian Broadcasting Company health expert Doctor Norman Swan told ABC radio listeners “People will die as a result of the Catalyst program.”

 

The ABC’s Bureau of Audience and Consumer Affairs reviewed twelve complaints pertaining to the documentary. Their final report, which ran for 49 pages, could not document a single factual error on the part of Dr. Demasi and Catalyst, and dismissed eleven of the twelve complaints as without basis. The twelfth complaint pertained to the second episode only and was about a matter of emphasis – that the documentary did not consider the (unproven) possibility that statins for primary prevention of heart disease might provide mortality benefits for certain subgroups of patients. On that flimsy basis, the ABC withdrew both episodes, even though by their own admission they could not find any problems with the first one."

 

Not sure if this is the right one or the full one, as I'm not familiar with this program. Hopefully someone eventually leaks the antidepressant one that was pulled before airing. 

[AliG]

Awesome. Thank you for finding this , anonymous.  I'm not sure how you did , but JC will be pleased and it's yet another example of " Big Pharma" gone wild in their pursuit of the almighty $$$. I feel like I had a fortuitous escape from falling down this " rabbit hole" , as I had already started my research when my doctor handed me the script.  Suffice to say , it was ripped up and thrown in the bin - a lucky / and yet informed decision .   I knew I didn't want to lose my mind or my muscles. It's the same propaganda as psych drugs. Buyer/ consumer beware  !

[scallywag]

I've downloaded the video from youtube in case that posting gets squashed too.

[AliG]

Good one, Scally !     Perhaps , a wise move .

[JanCarol]

AWESOME!!!!  I will mirror that download, and hope you can find the Antidepressant one.  I wish I had a title to give you, or could remember which episode of ABC Media Watch referenced it....

[JanCarol]

Another MaryAnne Demasi which is still on ABC website:

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4339690.htm

Called "Too Much Medicine"

 

She also got into trouble for implying that wifi and cell phones can cause brain damage.  The Episode called, "Wi-Fried"

 

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/catalyst-host-maryanne-demasi-in-the-business-of-advocacy-not-journalism-20160222-gn0tkd.html

 

 

Here, she takes on the DSM (back in 2012)

[JanCarol]

Just heard tonight on ABC-Media Watch

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s4498612.htm

 

MaryAnne DeMasi has been suspended, and Catalyst's "Wi-fried" show has been excoriated by the same process used to kill the statin stories.

 

Catalyst is on the line, funding being cut, so they will now be Catalyst "light" and will be afraid to challenge conventions in science.  

 

The show on Antidepressants that DeMasi did was to be aired July 2015.  

 

Additionally, there was another story pulled, apparently linking diet to Alzheimers, supposed to have aired last month.

 

DeMasi continues to defend herself on her Twitter account, but is in danger of being ousted totally.  She is even suggesting that she needs to get Whistleblower status, which Media Watch found, "ridiculous."

 

One of our champions - or rather she's tried to champion our cause - is beleagured.

 

If she had whistleblower status, the episodes could be leaked.

 

Any of you Twitter folks wish to bombard her with support and requests?

[JanCarol]

The comments on the Media Watch transcript are very supportive of Dr. DeMasi.

[bubbles]

Pretty sure the cholesterol eps are still on YouTube. Will look.

[bubbles]

[bubbles]

Oh I missed that someone else posted the links. Can't see properly - on my phone!

[btdt]

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9487-statins-lipitor-and-others/

 

I had a hug problem with statins too... lots about statins on SA here is one... see spacedoc.com too..

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9487-statins-lipitor-and-others/

[anonymous4317]

I contacted Dr. Demasi on Twitter about the missing antidepressant episode but didn't receive a response.

 

In my opinion, Barry's writing in that Media Watch link is unprofessional.

[JanCarol]

Barry was just toeing the company line.

 

DeMasi's work has been reviewed by a formal board at the ABC.  She has been fired.

 

The entire Catalyst team has been fired.

 

The show has been cancelled.

 

They claim they will replace it with 17 1-hour shows which will be presented by "famous scientist" and more in-depth (I think they may be looking to US-PBS "Nova" as a model).

 

They claim that the ratings of Catalyst were slipping, but Catalyst was  the 10th most popular show on the ABC.

 

So - in Australia, there are no pharma ads on the TV.  But woe to those who question the status quo of the AMA, the Heart Association, or psychiatry.