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Yesterday's Independent newspaper carried a piece on statins, "Doctors blocking use of statins 'are prejudiced'", in which Professor Peter Weissberg, cardiologist medical director of the British Heart Foundation, was quoted as saying,
"in terms of 'medicalising society', the use of statins in such a large group was no different to giving vaccinations to entire populations."
Does he think we all fell off a christmas tree!
Entire, or almost entire populations are given vaccinations to eradicate a disease (which most will get, if unprotected) from a society - permanently. Mass treatment with statins will eradicate nothing. At best, statins will protect a small proportion of those who actually take them. Those who take, but do not need, will neither protect themselves nor wider society. The two situations are entirely different and the amazing eradication of smallpox should never be taken as an argument for mass drug treatments for non-contagious disease.
Cross or what!
Sally
"in terms of 'medicalising society', the use of statins in such a large group was no different to giving vaccinations to entire populations."
Does he think we all fell off a christmas tree!
Entire, or almost entire populations are given vaccinations to eradicate a disease (which most will get, if unprotected) from a society - permanently. Mass treatment with statins will eradicate nothing. At best, statins will protect a small proportion of those who actually take them. Those who take, but do not need, will neither protect themselves nor wider society. The two situations are entirely different and the amazing eradication of smallpox should never be taken as an argument for mass drug treatments for non-contagious disease.
Cross or what!
Sally