Medical

Industrial Complex

Statins for primary prevention in physically active individuals: Do the risks outweigh the benefits?

PubMed.Gov

Abstract 

OBJECTIVES:There are little data on the potential benefits and adverse events of statins among physically fit individuals. Our objective was to examine the associations of statin use with beneficial cardiovascular outcomes and adverse events in active duty military (a surrogate for high level of physical fitness). 

RESULTS:We propensity score matched 837 statin-users to 2488 nonusers. During follow-up, 1.6% statin-users and 1.5% nonusers were diagnosed with MACE (odds ratio [OR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-1.98), 12.5% of statin-users and 5.8% of nonusers were diagnosed with diabetes (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.79-3.04), and 1.7% statin- users and 0.7% nonusers were diagnosed with diabetes with complication (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.21-5.04). There were no differences in rates of other adverse events. 

CONCLUSIONS:

Among healthy physically active individuals, statin use was associated with doubled the odds of diabetes and diabetic complications without countervailing cardiovascular benefits.

DYI:  The out of control big pharma in their quest for ever increasing sales has advocated in their sales material the use of statins in an ever increasing population group.  I’ve have run across articles where they were pushing for use of statins for children as a preventive measure such as vaccines.

If you fall into the group of active adults who do make a point of staying in shape and your doctor wants to put you on statins due to your blood work you may want to think twice.  I’m not a doctor and nor do I play one on TV and most importantly this is NOT medical advice.  The advice I am giving is do your homework as it is your body and you only get one!  That goes for all things in life as knowledge bestows great advantages.

DYI