My experience with statins is not typical, but not as rare as the industry would assert, either: a mild case of rhabdo and painful exercise intolerance for over a year. There are genetic tests for statin intolerance, such as for variants in the gene SLCO1B1, which should be done before prescribing a statin (but rarely are). I can underst…
My experience with statins is not typical, but not as rare as the industry would assert, either: a mild case of rhabdo and painful exercise intolerance for over a year. There are genetic tests for statin intolerance, such as for variants in the gene SLCO1B1, which should be done before prescribing a statin (but rarely are). I can understand that cardiologists are frustrated. Their problem is that statins are the primary arrow in their quiver for reducing LDL, and the side-effects from statins of mild mitochondrial damage and muscle pain are common, causing people to stop taking them. Changes in exercise and diet, on the other hand, are effective for cardiovascular health but difficult to achieve. The result is a tendency by both drug companies and cardiologists to downplay the problems with statins, which has given rise to an entire industry of books and videos on their danger.
Imagine a world in which we prioritize doing something substantive rather than popping a pill.
We have allowed our humanity to be completely captured by the need for instant gratification and relief rather than the slow adaptation that is necessary to build real resilience. This is as apparent in medicine as anything else.
My experience with statins is not typical, but not as rare as the industry would assert, either: a mild case of rhabdo and painful exercise intolerance for over a year. There are genetic tests for statin intolerance, such as for variants in the gene SLCO1B1, which should be done before prescribing a statin (but rarely are). I can understand that cardiologists are frustrated. Their problem is that statins are the primary arrow in their quiver for reducing LDL, and the side-effects from statins of mild mitochondrial damage and muscle pain are common, causing people to stop taking them. Changes in exercise and diet, on the other hand, are effective for cardiovascular health but difficult to achieve. The result is a tendency by both drug companies and cardiologists to downplay the problems with statins, which has given rise to an entire industry of books and videos on their danger.
Imagine a world in which we prioritize doing something substantive rather than popping a pill.
We have allowed our humanity to be completely captured by the need for instant gratification and relief rather than the slow adaptation that is necessary to build real resilience. This is as apparent in medicine as anything else.