Statins are a Symbol podcast

What do I mean by saying that statins are a symbol?  Well, I mean that the widespread, in fact almost universal prescribing of such a drug is symbolic of what has happened to modern medicine.  Medications are routinely prescribed to patients, whether or not that medication will actually help the person or not!

Let’s look at the case of statins: if you are a man of any age without existing heart disease, statins won’t extend your life span.  And if you are over the age of 80, with or without heart disease, there is no benefit to be had from a statin.  In addition, although the chances of you benefiting from a statin are quite slight, the chances of bad side effects are quite great.  10% of statin users are inflicted with muscle damage and pain, and there is also risk of kidney damage as the breakdown of muscle tissue overloads the kidneys with deteriorated muscle tissue in a condition known as rhabdomyolysis.

Personally, I know how important muscle tissue is for health, particularly as a person ages.  When you see older people hunched over, barely able to walk or even get up out of a chair, much less off of the ground or a floor- this is because of sarcopenia, which is just a simple term for muscle wasting as people age.  But I am here to tell you that muscle wasting is not only something to avoid at all costs, but you certainly don’t want to cause it to happen faster by taking a statin!

For women, especially women over the age of 60- statins have not been shown to be of any benefit whatsoever.  In fact, a higher cholesterol level amounts older women seems to be very protective in terms of overall longevity, rather than the reverse.  Also, for women, a 9% increased risk for diabetes is another side effect of statins.  Men also get an increased risk of diabetes, but more in the area of 6%.  

While there are some rare instances when a statin is appropriate, the key word there is rare.  For the vast majority of us, the risks are not worth the small advantage- especially in light of the fact that, while statins do lower the “magical” cholesterol numbers- this works out into no longer life expectancy.  So, really, what is the point?

And that is why I think that statins themselves are a symbol- a symbol of the vast overuse of medications, for pretty much everyone, all the time.  Medications that just treat symptoms (like a high number on the cholesterol chart), but deliver no increases in health or wellness.  Depression medications, stomach acid reducing meds, drugs for this, drugs for that- overall, I would estimate that over 95% are either totally unneeded and very expensive (hence big pharma’s vested interest in having a lot be sold).  Also- usually the side effects are worse than the symptoms of the disease they are supposed to treat.

In light of all of this, I am starting to think that the traditional Rod of Asclepius, which is a staff surrounded by  a twisting serpent, is starting to really be a good representation of modern medicine today.  I don’t mean to be harsh, but really, I often see the big medical clinics, along with their legions of drug peddlers as more of an adversary than as a wise counselor.