WHO SHOULD BE TAKING THE POWERFUL CHOLESTEROL – LOWERING DRUGS CALLED STATINS?
THE SLIPPERY SLOPE (August 2002) Statin drugs, such as Pravachol. Zocor, Lipitor, Mevacor and Lescol, are extraordinarily effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels in those with high cholesterol concentrations. They reduce the risk of heart attack in those who have high cholesterols (but no evidence of coronary heart disease), in those with symptoms of coronary heart disease and in those who have already had a heart attack. The extent of cholesterol lowering is usually dramatic. Although they are, in general, safe, each has the potential for side effects, including some that can be very severe. But, now the enthusiasts are broadening the uses of the drugs. A recent headline blared “good hearts can benefit from statins”. That headline was not accurate because the study released at a November 2000 American Heart Association meeting, conducted at 69 British hospitals involved 20,536 people considered at high risk of heart disease. The definition of high risk included diabetes, previo
