To “statin” or not to “statin”?

Using Brave AI, a statin is described as:

“A statin is a class of medications used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. They work by:

·        Reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver

·        Helping the liver remove excess cholesterol from the blood

• Statins are commonly prescribed for individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease or those with high LDL cholesterol levels.

• They are effective in reducing LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol.

• Most people who take statins tolerate them well, but some may experience side effects such as headaches, insomnia, or skin flushing.

Overall, statins are a widely used and effective medication class for managing cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Here are Brave answers to “which medicines have clear harms compared to their side effects” and “which medicines have clear benefits compared to their side effects”, statins are the top of a list of three for both!

For harms:

·        Statins: These cholesterol-lowering medications have been linked to increased risk of muscle damage, liver enzyme elevation, and cognitive impairment. While they may benefit some patients, the potential harms may outweigh the benefits for others.

The other two treatments listed by Brave are “Over-the-counter pain relievers” and “Incontinence medications”.

For benefits:

·        Statins: Despite potential side effects like muscle pain and liver enzyme elevation, statins have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular mortality. Their benefits in preventing cardiovascular events outweigh their risks for most patients.

The other two medicines shown by Brave are “Antibiotics” and “Blood thinners”.

There is no mention of the interaction of these treatments with the experimental C19 mRNA injections or any other medication or procedure.

Out of interest, from here in June 2024:

https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20240627/many-people-on-statins-may-not-need-them

“As a result, the number of adults meeting the criteria for statin use dropped from 45.4 million to 28.3 million. So, based on these equations, 17.3 million adults for whom statins are now recommended would no longer be considered eligible. That includes 4.1 million adults who are currently taking statins.”

The paper’s lead author, Timothy S. Anderson, MD, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, went further in an interview for a news story in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Not only did he favor updating the guidelines, but he gave a timeline for when he thinks that will happen. The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology are scheduled to release new high blood pressure and cholesterol guidelines later this year and in 2025, respectively, he said, and he expects new guidelines for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (or disease in the heart or blood vessels) to follow those changes.”

Brave struggled to answer the question “how many Americans used statins in the USA in 2023” – but came up with this:

·        Another study, published in 2024 (June), mentions that more than 45 million Americans are considered eligible to take statin drugs to prevent heart disease, based on the 2013 pooled cohort equations. However, this figure refers to eligibility, not actual usage in 2023.

• A news article from NPR, published in December 2023, reports on a study finding that only one-third of people eligible to take statins are actually using them. This study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey over the last 10 years, but it doesn’t provide a specific 2023 figure.

One third of 45 million eligible to take statins equals 15 million Americans taking statins.

I confess to coming to a conclusion that all medicines should be treated with a lot of caution! I can see clear benefits from the treatment of wounds or even transplants or appendicitis, snake bite, tetanus,  and the use of antibiotics to kill all “biotics” – good and bad – while the body heals, but there doesn’t appear to be any “vaccines” that have been tested properly, or treatments that show no interaction with other simultaneous treatments!

Onwards!!!

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