Framingham’s Faulty Risk Data Drives Statin Sales

In the world of fast-food medicine doctors utilize lab test numbers, family history, and lifestyle factors to help decide whether or not to place patients on statin Class of drugs aka HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that are used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that plays a central role in liver function and cholesterol production. drugs.  For the past decade they have relied on various risk tools based on data coming from the Framingham study.  A new study¹ shows that up to 26% of the people being given statins based on this commonly-used criteria have absolutely no plaque in their arteries!  Said another way, 5 billion in statin Class of drugs aka HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that are used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that plays a central role in liver function and cholesterol production. sales per year are flat out fraud.

It never ceases to amaze me how data is perverted and twisted for the purpose of drug sales.  The Framingham study is responsible for opening the statin Class of drugs aka HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that are used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that plays a central role in liver function and cholesterol production.-prescribing flood gates based on the results of the study that claimed a 30% risk reduction for cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol.  (Never mind that DHA Docosahexaenoic acid Essential omega 3 fatty acid integral to the health of all cell membranes, nerve and brain function. Must be gotten through the diet via cold water oceanic fish or some very limited plant sources or taken as a supplement.-containing fish oil reduces risk by 50%).  From this questionable data sprung an entire industry that uses Framingham-data equations to concoct risk at any age and then prescribe drugs.

Quite interestingly, data from the actual Framingham study² shows that lowering cholesterol does not improve all-cause mortality, except in people ages 40 to 50.  Between ages 50 and 70 there is no improvement in overall mortality risk from lowering cholesterol.  After age 80, low cholesterol clearly increases all cause mortality.

A study of 4,500 Italians³, ages 65 to 84, showed that those with total cholesterol levels below 189 had a significantly higher all-cause mortality than those with total cholesterol levels higher than 189.

Doctors currently use this Framingham data, in a warped way, to routinely hand out statins to older Americans even though there is no evidence it will help them live longer.  To the contrary, older Americans are now suffering 400,000 extra cases of heart failure per year!  This new health problem correlates directly to increased statin Class of drugs aka HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that are used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that plays a central role in liver function and cholesterol production. use in this population.

The statin Class of drugs aka HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that are used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that plays a central role in liver function and cholesterol production. fraud, like the bone drug fraud, is costing lives and the health of millions of Americans.  Anyone taking these drugs is playing Russian roulette with their own health.  There is no quick fix or short cut to being healthy – but there is a path.