Surgeon and television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz brought Dr. Stephen Sinatra and nutrition guru Johnny Bowden on his show to raise awareness of the risks connected with the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, according to a story on the Examiner.com.
Sinatra and Bowden warn that taking statins can result in dangerous side-effects, such as memory loss, fatigue and muscle pain.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added warnings to the labels of Pfizer’s Lipitor and other types of statins, advising that they may increase the risk of Type II diabetes. The new labels also warn that the drugs may raise blood sugar levels, and could cause memory loss.
And while the clinical trials used to get regulatory approval for statins put the rate of people reporting side effects at 5 to 10 percent, a more recent study published in Annals of Internal Medicine put that number at closer to 17 percent.
The Examiner.com says that Sinatra and Bowden have put out a book entitled The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease — and the Statin-Free Plan That Will.
They contend that statins are over-prescribed, the story says.
As alternatives, they recommend changed in diet and lifestyle, such as getting regular exercise and eating a diet high in soluble fiber.
Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with a Lipitor lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries.
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