Not sure that's a valid argument. Our ancestors mostly didn't reach old age (by our standards). They were too busy dying of broken bones, infections (no vaccines or antibiotics) and childbirth (if female). Whether or not you agree with statins modern medicine has drastically increased average lifespans from a couple of hundred years ago. And of course, the T1s on these forums would all be dead anyway.
Life expectancy - Wikipedia
Not necessarily very accurate, but interesting anyway.
hmm. You gave the reasons which support my view. My research shows that when you did not die of say disease or death during birth, life span was full. I actually meant parents to grand parents, when I was a child 1 in 3 for example got cancer, now 1 in 2, this is off point, but demonstrates that drugs tend not to fix thing.
When I was a child statins were not invented and people had less strokes and heart attacks, the trajectory is upwards despite statins being the no.1 drug - this is called a failure of proof in my book, 1987 was a terrible year for humanity. Then there's the hard end points proved with differing datasets such as the large Nhanes - this categorically shows it is overall better to have higher cholesterol; another study shows older women are better off with higher cholesterol. It may be a consensus that LDL is a problem, but this is not science. Science needs to be repeatable and make sense. LDL is in every cell in our bodies and 85% is made in the body, why would our own bodies try to kill us.
Your points are not related to statins. Statins are only of use (on their contested numbers) if you have had an event, not before. If you have had an event you will live on average an extra 4 or so days, a terrible return for a drug that can muscle ache and increase the risk of diabetes (2 sources Asseem Malhorta, Malcolm Kendrick). If statins are so great why are the results of trials locked up in Oxford, why do some trials get rid of those adversely affected (and not count them) with a run / wash out in phase - that's called cheating.
On your wider point, drugs have increased lifespan, but not health span,. Some drugs are essential such as Insulin, others mask a sympton that can often be changed with lifestyle choices . I believe the average 55 year old on around 5 pills. Personally I would rather live healthy to 80 and drop dead than 85 with the last 10 years fragile, in and out of hospital and the like.
