Vytorin a loser in cholesterol game

[SoonerDave]

Rumors swirling around various medical outlets over the last few months were confirmed this week when it was revealed that studies show the cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin to have no impact on arterial plaque buildup or heart disease in general.

The results show the drug had "no result - zilch. In no subgroup, in no segment, was there any added benefit" for reducing plaque, said Dr. John Kastelein, the Dutch scientist who led the study.

That happened even though Vytorin dramatically lowered LDL, fats in the blood called triglycerides and a measure of artery inflammation - CRP.

The recommendation is to go back to "tried and true statins" to lower cholesterol.

For those of us who have followed the cholesterol industry, this really comes as no surprise. I believe we've seen the first piece of the puzzle that will ultimately show statins in general to be a huge medical fraud, leading people to believe that lowering cholesterol saves lives and makes your heart healthy, when the science doesn't support it.

The manufacturers are now being assailed for having had this general data available for some two years, and failing to inform doctors or publish the information - obviously risking $5B in sales in so doing. Geez, what a shock. Not.

Keep in mind, folks, that Lipitor couldn't show any decrease in absolute risk for CHD until they conveniently muddled their research data with patients that already had CHD risk factors among those who didn't. Even with data geared to their own benefit, their own research showed that you'd have to treat 50 men for five years to realize the possibility of saving one life. There was an article in the Lancet last year blasting the US expanded use of statins among people with no other CHD risk factors, citing precisely this info.

The point is, folks, do a little reading for yourself and find out what the change in *absolute risk* for mortality by taking statins, and compare that to the side-effects, and at a minimum, make an informed choice. You don't have to be a physician or a cardiologist to understand some of the data that's out there, and you might well be surprised at what you find. Don't just look for info about decreasing cholesterol, look for info about decreasing your absolute risk of dying and/or experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or other CHD-related medical problem for taking a statin drug. The info may surprise you.

-soonerdave

[Patrick]

Ummmmm......vytorin is a statin, with a cholesterol binding drug in combination. It's Zocor plus Zetia.

You can't believe every study you read.

Overall, Vytorin is a great combination drug, that works better in most cases than statins alone.