Demi
Sun, Oct-14-07, 01:20
The Sunday Times
London, UK
14 October, 2007
Anti-cholesterol drugs tempt users into risky diets
SOME patients on statins are putting their health at risk by using the drugs as an excuse to revert to an unhealthy diet, doctors have warned.
Statins are so effective at reducing cholesterol and the risk of heart attack that patients feel less guilty about eating high-fat diets, including burgers, chips and cakes.
Low-strength versions of the drug are sold over the counter - meaning the patient’s use of the drug is not supervised by a doctor ordering regular exercise and a low-fat diet.
Mayur Lakhani, chairman of the Royal Society of General Practitioners, said he had received reports of patients using statins as a shortcut to good health. “I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to follow a healthy diet even when taking a statin,” he said.
Patients on statins reverting to an unhealthy lifestyle will put on weight, placing extra pressure on their heart, even if their cholesterol remains low.
One business executive relaxed his diet after his cholesterol rating dropped from 7 to 4.5, below the recommended level of 5, after he started taking Zocor, an over-the-counter brand. “I decided I had some leeway and started eating junk food again,” he said.
“I think I’ve put on a little weight but instead of the diet increasing my cholesterol, my rating has fallen to 3.5 in six months. Why can’t we just pop a high-strength statin and eat Kentucky Fried Chicken all the time without worrying?”
Merck, the pharmaceutical company which manufactures Zocor, said taking the drug in conjunction with a poor diet “is not in the spirit of the guidance”. The Department of Health said that while such behaviour is “concerning”, most statins are prescribed by GPs who emphasise the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
At present 3.4m people, deemed to have a 20% or greater risk of cardiovascular disorder within the next decade, take the drug, costing the National Health Service nearly £1 billion a year.
A study last week in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients who have taken the drug for at least five years are at far lower risk of heart attack for a decade after they stop taking them. Statins block the enzyme that produces “bad” cholesterol in the liver.
Dr Jim Kennedy, chairman of prescribing at the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “Some people may feel that using statins to offset risk will work. It won’t. If they continue with high risk behaviour they will reap the rewards later. ”
Dr Mike Knapton, director of prevention and care at the British Heart Foundation, said: “People find it easier to pop a pill than change their behaviour. It’s human nature.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2652901.ece
London, UK
14 October, 2007
Anti-cholesterol drugs tempt users into risky diets
SOME patients on statins are putting their health at risk by using the drugs as an excuse to revert to an unhealthy diet, doctors have warned.
Statins are so effective at reducing cholesterol and the risk of heart attack that patients feel less guilty about eating high-fat diets, including burgers, chips and cakes.
Low-strength versions of the drug are sold over the counter - meaning the patient’s use of the drug is not supervised by a doctor ordering regular exercise and a low-fat diet.
Mayur Lakhani, chairman of the Royal Society of General Practitioners, said he had received reports of patients using statins as a shortcut to good health. “I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to follow a healthy diet even when taking a statin,” he said.
Patients on statins reverting to an unhealthy lifestyle will put on weight, placing extra pressure on their heart, even if their cholesterol remains low.
One business executive relaxed his diet after his cholesterol rating dropped from 7 to 4.5, below the recommended level of 5, after he started taking Zocor, an over-the-counter brand. “I decided I had some leeway and started eating junk food again,” he said.
“I think I’ve put on a little weight but instead of the diet increasing my cholesterol, my rating has fallen to 3.5 in six months. Why can’t we just pop a high-strength statin and eat Kentucky Fried Chicken all the time without worrying?”
Merck, the pharmaceutical company which manufactures Zocor, said taking the drug in conjunction with a poor diet “is not in the spirit of the guidance”. The Department of Health said that while such behaviour is “concerning”, most statins are prescribed by GPs who emphasise the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
At present 3.4m people, deemed to have a 20% or greater risk of cardiovascular disorder within the next decade, take the drug, costing the National Health Service nearly £1 billion a year.
A study last week in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients who have taken the drug for at least five years are at far lower risk of heart attack for a decade after they stop taking them. Statins block the enzyme that produces “bad” cholesterol in the liver.
Dr Jim Kennedy, chairman of prescribing at the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “Some people may feel that using statins to offset risk will work. It won’t. If they continue with high risk behaviour they will reap the rewards later. ”
Dr Mike Knapton, director of prevention and care at the British Heart Foundation, said: “People find it easier to pop a pill than change their behaviour. It’s human nature.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2652901.ece