Posted on 10/16/2006 9:15:45 PM PDT by neverdem
A provocative review paper published this month has raised questions about the aggressive cholesterol-lowering recommendations made two years ago by a government panel.
The panel, the National Cholesterol Education Program, urged patients at risk for heart disease to reduce sharply their harmful LDL cholesterol and to try to reach specific, very low levels.
Though the authors of the new paper, published in the Oct. 3 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, endorse the use of cholesterol-lowering statins, they say there is not enough solid scientific evidence to support the target numbers for LDL cholesterol set forth by the government panel.
The authors’ argument challenges mainstream medical thinking and the consensus among most cardiologists that the lower the cholesterol is, the better.
Until 2004, an LDL cholesterol level of less than 130 milligrams a deciliter was considered low enough. But the updated guidelines recommend that high-risk patients reduce their level even more — to less than 100 — while patients at very high risk are given “the option” of reducing LDL cholesterol to less than 70. Patients often have to take more than one cholesterol-lowering drug to achieve those targets.
“This paper is not arguing that there is strong evidence against the LDL targets, but rather that there’s no evidence for them,” said Dr. Rodney A. Hayward, a study author, adding that this was largely because of the way clinical trials had been devised and carried out.
“If you’re going to say, ‘Take two or three drugs to get to these levels,’ you need to know you’re doing more benefit than harm,” said Dr. Hayward, who is director of the Veterans Affairs Center for Health Services Research and Development and a professor at the University of Michigan Medical School. He said he was particularly concerned because there was little long-term safety...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
How much is the annual tuition? Have you considered the Health Profession Scholarship Program offered from the Army, Air Force or Navy?
Still, thanks for the reminder, I'll make sure to have them specify that on the next work up.
I'd call tomorrow to make sure it was done. If it wasn't, he needs to get it done stat. It's called both creatine kinase(CK) and creatine phosphokinase(CPK). Injured muscle releases the enzyme into the blood. When too much of it gets into kidneys, it's bad news.
It is somewhere around 35k I believe, perhaps slightly less... :(
I've looked into military, am still considering national guard...
I get the 500 Mg tablets from Walgreen.
At first I experienced some 'flushing'.
After continual use that subsides.
I'm not sure how my liver is doing,
but my cholesterol is lower! ha ha
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