Thursday, February 15, 2007

Interesting information on statins

I have hated to see Cliff taking Lipitor, since his CABG; after all, it's been known to do damage to the liver.  That's why people taking that particular prescription, or other statins, have blood tests every three months:  to make sure the liver is doing OK. 

But today I was reading a medical blog I follow, "The Examining Room of Dr. Charles", and was directed to a National Geographic article, Mending Broken Hearts.

Here's the part that grabbed my attention: 

Eric Topol, a cardiologist.... is as lean as a greyhound and weathered in a cowboyish way. He talks slowly and eats minimally: salads for dinner and high-fiber cereal for breakfast. He doesn't eat lunch at all. Like almost every cardiologist I've talked to, he takes statins preventively, and his cholesterol count is a low 135. His children, 22 and 25, also eat uncommonly well for their ages.

I think I'll stop being so concerned about Cliff's Lipitor.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I asked my doctor 2 years ago to put me on Lipitor as my arteries are exceptionally small and i had read it prevents buildup and actually reduces plaque. My cholesterol before was only 175 which isn't bad but since I had a quad bypass I needed every advantage. Now it is only 125!

Anonymous said...

I am considering asking for it myself. Mine is not coming down and I am high risk being diabetic too.

Anonymous said...

C.Y. has steadfastly refused to take any cholesterol lowering drug until recently.  His current tech that checks his protime and his cholesterol talked him in to taking Vytorin 10/20.  This med. is a combination of a statin and some other non-statin.  We are still wary of the "liver" thing but were told that Vytorin doesn't even require the periodic blood tests.  You never really know what is the best but I do know we need to make better food choices.