The entrenched belief that statins are wonder drugs has led physicians to prescribe them rampantly in hopes of preventing heart attacks. Now, a study has found the presumed safety and efficacy of these medications is actually a fallacy based on deceptive statistics.
This means the 25 million Americans who currently take the cholesterol-lowering medicines are being exposed to their harmful effects without receiving the expected life-prolonging benefit.
Drugs are the primary tool used in the practice of medicine. After their benefit-to-risk ratio is evaluated, they are prescribed when their advantages are thought to outweigh their dangers. The system can work if the results of the scientific studies examining them are valid. This validity can only be achieved if advocates of the medications are not allowed to influence the drug-examination process. Once the integrity of the system is compromised, all bets are off.
Deceptive Statistic Transforms a 1% Benefit into a 30 to 50% Benefit
Clinical trials are the critically important method used to determine if a drug is safe and effective. A repost published in the Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology discovered that directors of clinical trials magnified statins’ benefits. In assessing the medication’s effectiveness, instead of using an accurate statistic called absolute risk, scientists used a misleading statistic called relative risk. The absolute risk of the drugs indicates they can help 1 percent of those who take them, while the inflated, deceptive relative risk suggests the drugs can help 30 to 50 percent.
This explains why a clinical trial funded by a pharmaceutical firm will opt to use relative risk rather than the absolute one. Such details of statistical analysis are not well understood by the public, including many doctors; therefore, the delusions that ensue can have serious consequences.
Statins’ Adverse Effects Don’t Outweigh the Possible Tiny Benefit
The expert review also noted that statins’ adverse effects are experienced more frequently than medical conferences and news media report. These include elevated risks of cancer, cognitive impairment and diabetes as well as cataracts and musculoskeletal maladies. For this reason, the authors concluded that the purported absolute risk of 1 percent does not justify the use of such medications.
Statins Can Cause Atherosclerosis and Heart Failure
Statin drugs do lower cholesterol, but this substance is essential for an array of physiological processes within the body. Can the medications really improve the cardiovascular health of 1 percent of those who take them, as estimated by the absolute risk assessment? Another recent study published in Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology casts doubt they can be advantageous for even this tiny group.
Researchers found the drugs can cause atherosclerosis and heart failure. They postulate that the worldwide epidemic of these conditions may be worsened by the widespread use of statins and recommend the medication’s treatment guidelines be overhauled.
Taken together, the two studies indicate the view that statins are safe and effective for heart health is a mammoth-sized myth. Noted natural health practitioner Dr. Joseph Mercola advises using healthful lifestyle practices to normalize cholesterol levels. These include measures such as getting regular exercise and adequate sleep, along with eating a diet that includes plenty of raw foods.
Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25672965
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/03/18/deception-statins-effectiveness.aspx?e_cid=20150318Z1_DNL_NB_USonly_art_2&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=20150318Z1_DNL_NB_USonly&et_cid=DM70008&et_rid=880809645
http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1586/17512433.2015.1011125
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2962513/Have-benefits-statins-exaggerated.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2733256/
http://blog.heart.org/about-12-8-million-more-adults-eligible-for-discussions-with-their-physicians-to-determine-if-statins-are-appropriate-treatment/
Mary West is a natural health enthusiast, as she believes this area can profoundly enhance wellness. She is the creator of a natural healing website where she focuses on solutions to health problems that work without side effects. You can visit her site and learn more at http://www.alternativemedicinetruth.com. Ms. West is also the author of Fight Cancer Through Powerful Natural Strategies.