Researchers propose statin with fast food

[Geee]

Washington Times:

Make that a burger, fries and a side of Lipitor, please.

It could happen. As a public service, British researchers are proposing that fast-food eateries dole out complimentary cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to offset the hazardous glories of their fatty cuisines.

"When people engage in risky behaviors like driving or smoking, they're encouraged to take measures that minimize their risk, like wearing a seat belt or choosing cigarettes with filters. Taking a statin is a rational way of lowering some of the risks of eating a fatty meal," said Dr. Darrel Francis, a cardiologist at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London.

"It's ironic that people are free to take as many unhealthy condiments in fast-food outlets as they like, but statins, which are beneficial to heart health, have to be prescribed," he noted.

Representatives from Merck, which manufactures Lipitor, and Pfizer, maker of Zocor, declined to comment on the idea. McDonald's Corp. also did not respond to an inquiry.

The researchers are nevertheless in praise of statin drugs, pointing out that the medications boast some of the "best safety profiles of any medication," with side effects - such as complications in the liver and kidneys - reported in between one in 1,000 and one in 10,000 people.

Based on data from medical trials of almost 43,000 people, Dr. Francis calculated that the reduction in cardiovascular risk offered by a low dose of statin is enough to offset the increase in heart-attack risk from eating a cheeseburger and a milkshake. It's cheap, too.

"It makes sense to make risk-reducing supplements available just as easily as the unhealthy condiments that are provided free of charge. It would cost less than 5 cents per customer," Dr. Francis said, adding that the cost is about equivalent to one of those little squeezy containers of ketchup.

Is he proposing that all those cheerful, red-aproned, order-taking employees literally hand over a little pill with the french fries?

Why, yes. In its own little wrapping, too.

[pollyannaish]

You've got to be kidding me.

 

I took Lipitor for awhile (I don't actually have high c but I was taking it for what they called "protective purposes" relating to kidneys) and ended up with liver problems. Fortunately, when I quit taking the the drug the liver problems went away.

 

What a dumb idea. Like giving away birth control pills to grade schoolers.

[Geee]

Pollyannish. I took Lipitor for a while also. I had some pretty scary symptoms. I thought I had Parkinson's or something. Fortunately I did research on the net, quit taking the Lipitor and some of the symptoms were gone within days, others took weeks.

[pollyannaish]

Pollyannish. I took Lipitor for a while also. I had some pretty scary symptoms. I thought I had Parkinson's or something. Fortunately I did research on the net, quit taking the Lipitor and some of the symptoms were gone within days, others took weeks.

 

 

Is it just me, or does this seem like a pretty big "margin of error"?

 

 

reported in between one in 1,000 and one in 10,000 people.

[Argyle58]

This makes as much sense as fluoridated water. Originally done because it thought to reduce tooth decay, the practice has been discredited by every study made into it. While there have been a steady decrease in tooth decay since the implementation of this practice, it has been proven that gradual improvement of oral hygiene through the years is the reason why, not the chemicals placed in the water.

 

Fluoride actually causes teeth to discolor and become brittle over time. It also accelerates the loss of calcium in bones, and enhances the brain's absorbtion of aluminum, a condition found in most altzheimer patients.

 

And yet, fluoride is still added to the public drinking water in most western countries. Dannon is planning on marketing fluoridated bottled water.

 

Still drinking tap water?

[cudjo]

This is a really dumb idea, I take 3 cholesterol meds and never has my dr said I could go ahead and eat what I want to.

[pollyannaish]

This is a really dumb idea, I take 3 cholesterol meds and never has my dr said I could go ahead and eat what I want to.

 

If your doctor DID say that, I might have to change doctors.

[nickydog]

I take a very low dose of Lipitor and have had no problems and it has lowered my cholesterol as hoped. However, that is dumb to hand it out to people at a fast food restaurant!!

[Guest AnneV]

Really?!?!?

 

Still waiting for definitive proof that cholesterol is a bad thing...the only people saying so are the pharmaceutical companies!!!

Low-blood sugar and low-blood pressure are also medical "conditions" but big pharma has no meds for those, so they are ignored....see a pattern here?!?!?

 

What next? Sell fiber tablets with white bread?