Over 40 statins as standard?

[Deleted member 567885]

Read The Great Cholesterol Con by Malcolm Kendrick. Then you will know the answer.

And the updated sequel The Clot Thickens! We all get damage to arteries caused by age and /or diabetic blood sugars/smoking/other drugs/ which is repaired by the body using cholesterol that is transported around hte body in lipoprotein (ldl/hdl) 'boats' . When the body's ability to repair this damage can't keep up with the rate of dammage then clots may buldge out at tight junctions and break free to cause a heart attack or stroke.
That is his theory but he also debunks many of the myths of the theory that the dammage is caused by an excess of the LDL particles 'blocking' arteries.

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi, I’m a type 1 diabetic, 42 years of age, was diagnosed 24 years ago. I’ve just had a diabetes check, over the phone, with a nurse practitioner, as part of my gp diabetes annual check.

The practitioner prescribed me statins, because she said they give them to all diabetics over 40. I found this to be quite a shock. I’ve have no blood tests recently to check my cholesterol or anything like that, should I have been prescribed them? I’m healthy, I have a good diet, I exercise 2-3 times a week with a trainer and at my hospital diabetes check up in November, I was in target for 70% of the time.

I feel like I’ve just been given this medicine as standard, instead of anyone looking at me as an individual. Is this normal for diabetes patients?

So far as I know surgeries get a cash reward if they have a certain percentage of older patients prescribed statins.. follow the money.. Personally I've never even considered taking them and my cholesterol is "high" according to the docs but I'd hazard a guess that I know more about them than they do...plus it's my body my choice.

 

[golden oldie]

I am 76 years old and have been T1 since I was 13. I was offered statins as a matter of course around age 45 to 50. I tried them, and they made my hair fall out so I stopped them pdq. Since then I have taken Plant Sterols and Benecol, and my cholesterol is fine ( can't remember the numbers, but def fine). Plant sterols are natural and do a great job without side effects. OK I have to pay for them, but I think it's well worth it.

 

[Sangre]

Hi, I’m a type 1 diabetic, 42 years of age, was diagnosed 24 years ago. I’ve just had a diabetes check, over the phone, with a nurse practitioner, as part of my gp diabetes annual check.

The practitioner prescribed me statins, because she said they give them to all diabetics over 40. I found this to be quite a shock. I’ve have no blood tests recently to check my cholesterol or anything like that, should I have been prescribed them? I’m healthy, I have a good diet, I exercise 2-3 times a week with a trainer and at my hospital diabetes check up in November, I was in target for 70% of the time.

I feel like I’ve just been given this medicine as standard, instead of anyone looking at me as an individual. Is this normal for diabetes patients?

I’ve been a type 2 diabetic now for 13 years. I have always had elevated, LDL, even before becoming diabetic. Statins made me horribly sick and also contributed to my development of type two diabetes. I cannot take them. I would definitely recommend that you have the blood work done to see if your cholesterol numbers are high. But I would also recommend getting a calcium score test, which measures the calcification in your aortic artery and heart. I am normal weight, I do not smoke or drink, and my calcium score came out perfect at zero! I am 70 years old and my doctor decided that I did not need to take a statin because I am low risk for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol does not cause the problem they are trying to solve with statins. Cholesterol is essential to carry fat soluble nutrients around your body through the blood. Some people have a genetic predisposition to carry more cholesterol than others, as do I. I have had my genetics analyzed. What causes the damage to your cardiovascular system are toxins that are found in oxidized cooking oils. Therefore, you should eliminate any oil that is not cold, pressed and not “virgin“. That means you should use only olive, coconut, and avocado oil’s in your diet. You can also take CoQ10 to protect the endothelial lining of your blood vessels. And yes, doctors do push cholesterol lowering drugs, without even considering whether you really need them or not. They do this as a “precautionary“ tactic. And this often can cause more harm than good. It is always better to control your health with diet first. that applies to both diabetes and high LDL. There are supplements out there with plant sterols, and Stanols that can lower cholesterol, if yours is high. In my opinion, it is reprehensible that standard medical care, prescribes intense medication with horrible side effects without even testing to see if you need them. I would get a different doctor.

 

[Horlicks]

I had statins prescribed over 10 years ago, despite having normal cholesterol and I suspect they brought on T2 pre diabetes/diabetes earlier than if I had not started them. I stopped after a few months and began taking a cholesterol lowering yogurt drink every day which in any case is much more pleasant than a pill. My cholesterol, HDL, LDL triglycerides has always been in the 'normal' range. Every annual check up its suggested I start them. Personally I think they are a sledgehammer to crack a nut. They are so cheap to produce they would rather dole them out to everyone because they dont have the time or resources to assess every individual's need or risk.
Find out what your cholesterol is, do some research and then make an informed decision about taking them - or not.

 

[IanRA]

Firstly I think any advice or consideration to this issue will be completely different based on whether you are Type 1 or Type 2. Two different conditions, two different body systems and medications, two different durations when you reach age 40 / 50.

As you are Type 1, as I have been for the last 41 years since diagnosis age 26, my experience is similar. I was first offered statins aged 50 I think and it seemed to be a similar standard offer from my GP. My cholesterol results were good, hbA1C reasonable, and I was and am very fit, reegularly running half marathons and marathons and also triathlons, with a resting heart rate of 50. As one of the publicised complications at this time was muscle cramps, which I really needed to avoid with my running training, I discussed this with my GP and we agreed that we would defer the statins,, but reconsider after 3-4 years.

This offer of statins and reconsideration was repeated through my fifties and early sixties, but cholesterol results were still good, so i questioned what help they would do to me and we always agreed to reconsider later again. Mid sixties I had intensive investigation of my heart under private health after a small arrhythmia (an abnormal heart rhythm) was noted at an employer health check. Arteries were clear and all tests found no further problem, but I did accept the prescription of statins and some other preventative drugs. I was advised the modern statins (Atorvastatin) had been improved and the incidence of muscle cramps had been reduced, but it I still accepted this on trial.

So I have had no side effects I'm glad to say, and although I was very reluctant, it probably was the sensible choice. despite using insulin for 41 years, i really don't like taking medicines. In your case i would try to have the discussion as to what advantges statins offer in your personal circumstances. As long as you have better than average blood results, I'm not sure there is any advantage at this point in time. Just don't make it a final decision as you can always change later. Obviously I am not medically qualified, just 40 years experience and a computer analyst by trade so very analytical. Also try to get some real researched and proven feedback on side effects, not what someone moans about on Facebook or similar.

Nice to read your post. I am a fan of evidenced based medicine. What we do know is that more and more evidence about the root causes of T1 and the consequences of treating and living with this condition are leading to better treatment protocols. One of interest to me personally, as an 81 year old diabetic followed on from genetic testing. This found I was a cystic fibrosis carrier. Statistical research of large datasets also showed associated diseases with this phenotype includes, but does not necessarily mandate, T1, coronary artery disease, bronchiectasis, psoriasis, etc.... and I have all of that. I also swim at least 4km a week and have all my marbles... My thoughts are as we become more aware of our genetic profiles treatments will be more individualised rather than some mass protocol.

 

[LancsCarol]

Maybe the GPs are paid to prescribe statins as a government-backed general preventative statistical measure?
They were/are certainly paid per patient by the government for finding "prediabetic" patients, and can and do then spend a lot of medical staff time "monitoring" those "patients" instead of giving their attention to the actually genuinely ill patients.
The yearly amount of GP Surgery staff time spent over many years on aggressively monitoring my "prediabetic" status was much much greater than the time spent now on my actual Type 1 diabetes which suddenly appeared at age 65.
Reminds one of the Law of Unintended Consequences. Take note, NHS.

 

[MrsA2]

Google Podcasts

podcasts.google.com

Interesting podcast
(How Not to get Sick and die, episode 219)
DR Stephen Hussey is type 1.
The discussion covers cholesterol, statins and diet and more.
The interviewer is Australian and you can ignore the plug for his business

 

[Deleted member 567885]

So far as I know surgeries get a cash reward if they have a certain percentage of older patients prescribed statins.. follow the money.. Personally I've never even considered taking them and my cholesterol is "high" according to the docs but I'd hazard a guess that I know more about them than they do...plus it's my body my choice.

I've been an observer at clinical diabetologists bring out charts on which they are measured on outcomes such as patients prescribed statins. Even if your individual GP values patient choices and understands about metabolic health, the computer will always say 'STATINATE, STATINATE' for anyone who is any kind of diabetic or over 50.
This in turn makes me worried about any other recommendation that a doctor makes to me so I've really lost any trust that I've ever had.
Anyone else lost their faith recently?

 

[bulkbiker]

I've been an observer at clinical diabetologists bring out charts on which they are measured on outcomes such as patients prescribed statins. Even if your individual GP values patient choices and understands about metabolic health, the computer will always say 'STATINATE, STATINATE' for anyone who is any kind of diabetic or over 50.
This in turn makes me worried about any other recommendation that a doctor makes to me so I've really lost any trust that I've ever had.
Anyone else lost their faith recently?

Lost mine when I was diagnosed with T2 and given the Eatwell Guide...!

 

[AloeSvea]

The good thing is, good doctors respond intelligently to the evidence staring them in the face that the high-carb low-fat dietary recommendation coming from above, from the late '70s on, was downright detrimental to many of us, and does not work to get us to better metabolic health.

 

[Old’un]

I was prescribed statins last year - Atorvastin? I was keeping my HbA1c just below 48 with low carb diet and exercise. My cholesterol is 4.4.
The statin seemed to cause my HbA1c to rise to 58. I came off it and it went down to 50. Not sure if this is a common experience. The GP wanted me to try another type but it seemed to me that I could end up on metformin and a statin. I’m still not sure what to do. Currently focussing on reducing my HbA1c back below 48.

Yes, one of the side effects of statins is that they elevate blood sugar levels so that must surely go towards negating any potential benefits from taking the drug. I do wonder though how much good statins actually do and refuse them point blank after my experience of trying them for a month. (I have posted already about that.) A while back I was told that giving all diabetics aspirin was the way forward but then they shelved that idea when it was seen to do more harm than good.

Further back in time the medical profession sung the praises of Thalidomide and before that they advocated smoking menthol cigarettes for asthma! The bottom line is they don’t know what is good and what is bad so they use us as guinea pigs and we accept it at our peril.

Our bodies need cholesterol for a variety of purposes, synthesising hormones, transporting essential nutrients, repair processes, and reducing levels that are already well within a normal range, as mine are, must surely be detrimental to those functions.