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At randomisation for the trial, my cholesterol and BP were raised and I, unknowingly, had diabetes. My diabetes was diagnosed by the study Professor (FBG 12.00). I was put on atorvastatin, ramipril and amlodipine and followed my usual diet minus sweets cakes and other obvious sources of sugar.

People do sometimes get the symptoms they expect. I tried to avoid the term psychosomatic as the placebo effect for side effects seemed to be better terminology. Similarly, if people feel better by taking dummy pills, the term psychosomatic is not used. That harsh terminology was brought in by B.

I certainly respect your decision with regard to your usage of statins. I have said all along that it is a choice that people must make. That "A DCUK poll would tell me more about this than ANY other resource." is where you and I differ but thanks to you and all the participants on this thread...

Where did I say that their condition may be psychosomatic? You paraphrased me and I brought it back to my original point. Doug

This is what you said: ""Equally, some people do not know that the symptoms they experience are due to a drug they have been taking for months or years. Especially if the symptoms develop slowly over time. With statins, the well documented contraindications include muscle aches, raised blood...

Even with only 212 from the total membership of the forum (approaching 200,000) participating? Perhaps we should stop all research and rely on polls here instead? I guess the thousands of people involved in the ASCOT and other studies are not first-hand (real world) experience by your...

Not everyone that was on the BP arm was also on the lipid arm and the recording of data about the study participants was continued for 11 years from inception and did not stop at the end of the BPA or LLA. While your views, yet again, on the capability and veracity of the Professors and their...

That will likely be because there will be more statin alternatives by then. Regards Doug

I am all for proper diet, weight-loss where appropriate and exercise. It is fantastic that you used the yellow card system. We would all benefit if more people did that. I asked about coming off Metformin when I was in non-diabetic blood glucose results. My GP had a discussion and, given the...

The lipid profile is the measurement of all your blood fats. In most labs this will look at total, LDL and HDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides. I get all that information from my GP twice a year...

Perhaps the internet requires that its users are able to discern that some information is more credible than others. Without that, it can become a pointless resource. Doug

Interestingly the ASCOT cohort in the UK meets every year at Bart's Hospital to be updated on clinical research. Not all of these are drug trials but are often using information that is already held or about other forms of treatment etc. There is no doubt that pharma fund some research but...

Please see the links I have already posted. Were I to read and believe everything on the internet I would be a poor man: utilising every diet and every supplement that the internet tells me will control - or even cure - my diabetes. Doug

You would not usually want to lower your HDL. Have you been diagnosed with a particular form of high cholesterol such as familial hypercholesterolemia? Doug

Everyone should make informed choices about taking any drug. Again, let me repeat, I have never said that statins do not have side effects for a small percentage of those with diabetes. If you do not want to take them because you might have side effects then that is your choice. Doug

Why is it illogical to claim that some people may have had the side effect equivalent to the placebo effect? I have never claimed that some people do not get side effects from statins. That is well documented on the patient information leaflets and existing research...

No. It was not ethical to keep that arm of the study open once the health benefits had been established. One of the golden rules. Doug

I had an immediate lowering of my cholesterol on beginning treatment and on a recent but different piece of clinical research, involving cardiac MRIs and artery ultrasounds, I was found to have no deposits in my heart and all my arteries had no thickening. Another important point - I am not...

I have been on a statin since 1998. I was part of the ASCOT trial: http://www.ascotstudy.org/en Doug

@DavidGrahamJones There is no doubt that statins have side effects from day one for some folks and other people have no problems with taking them. The problem with polls is that it is often the people who have been unfortunate to have had side effects or those who have googled and think that...