11/18/13 Risk calculator for cholesterol appears flawed

[grasswire]

Source: New York Times

Risk calculator for cholesterol appears flawed
By Gina Kolata The New York Times

12 hours ago

Last week, the nation’s leading heart organizations released a sweeping new set of guidelines for lowering cholesterol, along with an online calculator meant to help doctors assess risks and treatment options. But, in a major embarrassment to the health groups, the calculator appears to greatly overestimate risk, so much so that it could mistakenly suggest that millions more people are candidates for statin drugs.

The apparent problem prompted one leading cardiologist, a past president of the American College of Cardiology, to call on Sunday for a halt to the implementation of the new guidelines.

“It’s stunning,” said the cardiologist, Dr. Steven Nissen, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. “We need a pause to further evaluate this approach before it is implemented on a widespread basis.”

The controversy set off turmoil at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, which started this weekend in Dallas. After an emergency session on Saturday night, the two organizations that published the guidelines — the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology — said that while the calculator was not perfect, it was a major step forward, and that the guidelines already say patients and doctors should discuss treatment options rather than blindly follow a calculator.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/risk-calculator-cholesterol-appears-flawed-2D11603376

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This is huge. There ought to be an investigation into the faulty calculator. It's a horrible situation for physicians.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Conflicts of interest. The pharmaceuticals industry is just way too powerful.

We treat everything with a pill, including use of one pill to counteract side-effects of other pills.

It's tragic.

[davidpdx]

10. My mom stated that she believed the same was true for diabetes

All though neither are ones to mess with. She has been diagnosed pre-diabetic, but is managing it with a healthy diet and exercise for the time being.

[DURHAM D]

2. Physicians. Really?

Seems like a horrible situation for the patients to me.

[grasswire]

6. well, yeah

There is that aspect.

I didn't believe in the first recommendation anyhoo.

Now we know it's a disaster.

[defacto7]

3. Correct me, I can't find the article

but I just read that statin drugs have been tested to be safe and useful for lesser cholesterol levels than usually prescribed and for other positive health reasons. Did I get that wrong?

[840high]

4. That's what my doctor told me.

[grasswire]

7. Here's a thread from just Saturday on the recommendation

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024044814

[grasswire]

5. that's apparently bogus, we now know.

That was yesterday's news, that physicians were encouraged to add millions more patients to the list of statin users.

[Pharaoh]

18. Statins cause liver damage

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/statin-side-effects/MY00205

A friend had to have a liver transplant due to statins. The pharmaceutical company's make up the guidelines to sell more drugs!

[dixiegrrrrl]

22. do a search look up

"side effects of statins"
( use a privacy respecting search engine such as StartPage.com)

Horrible side effects.

Mr. Dixie's doc was pushing them, for a cholesterol reading of 204.
"Normal" test number is 200.
Used to be 240 was considered normal, till Big Pharma got involved.

Anyhow, Mr. Dixie started eating oatmeal a few times a week, and apples and raw carrots as snacks,
6 months later test showed ....173.

It is 168 now.

His doctor did not even ask why the lower levels...sheesh.

[tofuandbeer]

8. Wish I could find the link, but I recall reading one scientist suggesting EVERYONE

should be on statin drugs.
I think they're going way overboard with this drug.

[loudsue]

9. That, my friend, is the intention of the people involved.

More American consumer $$$$ for everyone. Except, of course, for the American consumer.

The truth is, there is a whole lot of evidence that, for most people, those anti-cholesterol drugs are really really unhealthy.

[tofuandbeer]

14. Agreed.

I don't trust that drug. I fear we'll be hearing more about them in the years to come.
I really don't like the way they are being "shoved down our throats."

[Major Nikon]

12. Believe it or not his name was Dr. Reckless

And he suggested (probably jokingly) that statins should be added to the water supply.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3931157.stm

The problem is the statistics on statin efficiacy are often presented in very misleading ways and the side effects are often grossly understated. It's hard to imagine that people like Reckless aren't somehow profiting from promoting these drugs. Not long ago it was revealed through the discovery process of a lawsuit that celebrity Dr. Drew was getting paid 6 figures to spew misleading information about Welbutrin. I think there's a lot more of that going on that we don't hear about.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2012/07/02/feds-say-dr-drew-was-paid-by-glaxo-to-talk-up-antidepressant/

[tofuandbeer]

13. Thanks. That may be it, but I heard/read it in the spring of this year....

and I don't think the person was joking. He was saying how amazing the drug is and that he foresees everyone taking them in the future. Something to that extent. Thanks again! Great Dr. Drew story! I don't trust any of those celebrity/doctors.

[Major Nikon]

15. I used to have a lot of respect for Dr. Drew

I used to listen to his radio show and thought he made a lot of sense, but now I just see him as an ambulance chasing self-promoter who is far more worried about his own bottom line than anyone he treats or advises. Several people from his TV show committed suicide as Pinsky was cashing in on their misery.

[tofuandbeer]

16. Suicide? That's horrible!

[JackRiddler]

11. The "embarrassment" is that it's been exposed.

Does anyone believe you would ever, ever read that the calculator "mistake" would have been to underestimate risk and therefore recommend statins to fewer people? Ha!

All of the biases are to prescribe more drugs.

[grasswire]

17. right-o

The story just a weekend ago was that millions more people would be told by their doctors that they need to be on a statin drug. Based on this flawed calculator.

This needs investigating, really. Statins can have very serious side effects.

The credibility of a doctor's word is at stake.

[FiveGoodMen]

19. Agreed!

[Locrian]

20. yet

yet there are (were) a ton of people saying that disagreeing with the original recommendation was just out of ignorance of 'real science'.

Follow. The. Money. Always.

[grasswire]

21. I guess there has always been a lack of conscience in business...

....when big money is involved in medicine.

It's another manifestation of our total screwup of health care.

[djean111]

23. And the Pharma spokespeople are busily telling us to beware of supplements.

Pharma is in the business, IMO, of creating and managing symptoms.
ZERO interest in cures. ZERO.