Another controversy in
recent days has been the publication of reports of the dangers of statins which
may increase the risk of diabetes and dementia.
This followed the announcement of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change the labelling on statins, more clearly outlining the risks.
The Sydney Morning Herald
on March 12 published “’Miracle’ drug puts thousands at risk’, which, despite the headline, provided a
balanced view on the dangers of statins, including the need to take them if the risk
of heart disease is significant. It included comments and views from various authorities.
The Health Report on Radio National also put forward a balanced view this week, interviewing Associate
Professor David Sullivan from the Lipid Clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
in Sydney. He said he thought the
reports were quite alarmist and many people were going off their medication as
a result of media headlines. He
suggested people use an Absolute Risk Tool, such as this one from the Heart Foundation, to make sure they absolutely need to keep taking statins.
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