The bombshell report that should curb statin use once and for all!
When the American Heart Association issues a warning about statins, you know it’s serious.
Because these cholesterol-lowering meds, like Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor, are the mainstream’s most cherished sacred cows. Admitting that any problems might be associated with them is practically treason!
But these findings are so important, even the AHA couldn’t keep this news under wraps any longer:
Statin drugs can have serious interactions with numerous other heart medications.
And that can include the risk of life-threatening bleeding for patients taking certain blood thinners.
For years statin drugs have been practically shoved down our throats.
And when the old cholesterol mantra started getting stale, they turned statins into miracle meds that can stop everything from eye disease to sleep apnea!
But now that 25 percent of all Americans age 40 and up are taking them, it sounds like the AHA is finally saying, “Houston, we have a problem.”
Just last week it released a statement telling how statin side effects, such as muscle tissue damage, can be intensified if you’re also taking other frequently prescribed drugs for heart disease.
These include a class of blood-pressure meds called calcium channel blockers (such as Norvasc), blood-thinning meds Coumadin (warfarin) and Brilinta, heart-rhythm drugs such as digoxin and even the brand new one for heart failure called Entresto.
While the mainstream has tried to downplay reports of statin-induced muscle damage for as long as I can remember (even telling patients it was all in their heads), it’s very real. Just ask anyone who has suffered through the unbearable and debilitating pain and weakness these drugs can cause.
And as many have learned firsthand, the agony can continue long after they stop taking a statin.
It can also result in one of the most serious muscle-damaging effects of all called “rhabdomyolysis.” That’s when muscle fibers actually die, and it can lead straight to kidney failure.
The heart group has also warned that statins and certain blood-thinning meds, such as Coumadin and Brilinta can increase your odds of a deadly bleed.
But here’s the thing: this is hardly brand new information. Researchers have been following the statin-drug interaction trail for some time now. One report dated nine years ago details how an 82-year-old woman died of a brain hemorrhage while taking Zocor and warfarin.
And six years ago the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen warned about other fatal drug interactions with statins, telling about two patients who went into kidney failure while taking the drugs along with a steroid. One of them died.
So you can’t tell me this is a big surprise to the AHA. The group tried to soft-pedal its bombshell by adding that “every patient is different” and you should keep your doctor informed of any “unusual side effects or concerns.”
Look, for years now I’ve been warning you about the real and present danger that comes along with taking statins. They’re risky enough even if they are the only med you’re taking!
But here’s what should be the biggest news of all. And you won’t be hearing from the AHA.
Last year a group of Danish researchers found that even if you dutifully take a statin every single day, the time it will actually add to your life averages out to be three to four days.
So the reality of the statin story is that these drugs can take away many more days of your life then they will ever add.
Sources:
“Statins often interact with other heart drugs” Amy Norton, October 17, 2016, WebMD, webmd.com
