Is it time to put cholesterol-lowering statin drugs in every medicine cabinet? Judging by recent headlines, you might think so, as heart researchers reported that millions of healthy people could benefit from taking statins even if they don’t have high cholesterol.
Although many doctors hailed the study, known as Jupiter, as a major breakthrough, a closer look at the research suggests that statins (like Crestor, from AstraZeneca, and Lipitor, from Pfizer) are far from magic pills.
Many doctors who believe in using statins for heart disease say they needn’t be given to healthy patients. Instead, they say, the focus should remain on encouraging healthful behavior and screening for traditional risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Because of the way Jupiter’s results were reported, many healthy people are likely to get an exaggerated view of statins’ benefits. While the investigators reported an impressive-sounding 50 percent reduction in the risk of serious heart problems among the statin users, in reality everyone in the study had a low risk to begin with.
I’ve long maintained that
statins are one of the most unnecessary and dangerous drugs out there. For the majority of people, taking a statin drug to control your cholesterol levels or protect your heart will likely do far more harm than good.