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Women spend billions of dollars each year on Lipitor and other statin drugs that lower cholesterol. Now a new study of all the research data associated with this drug raises serious questions as to whether or not the all of this cash is buying any healthy benefits.

Sales of Lipitor account for over $12 billion in annual revenues worldwide. It is widely prescribed by doc­tors for both men and women as a way to lower cholesterol levels in the body. People who take it believe they are able to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke. Pharmacuetical giant, Pfizer Inc., markets Lipitor as being beneficial for those adults with a risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers at Cornell University recently assembled and evaluated all of the scientific data and test results available on Lipitor. It may come as a surprise to a lot of people that they were able to find no statistically sig­nificant supporting scientific evidence to show that women who take Lipitor were getting any protection from cardiovascular problems. The results of the study were published in the September issue of the university’s Jour­nal of Empirical Legal Studies.

“Our findings indicate that each year reasonably healthy women spend billions of dollars on drugs in the hope of preventing heart attacks, but that scientific evidence supporting their hope does not exist,” the study’s authors said.

Pfizer widely advertises Lipitor as a means to reduce the probability of heart attack for people who have a mixture of risk factors for heart attack, such as age, high blood pressure, low HDL levels (high-density lipopro­tein, the good cholesterol), family history or smoking. It appears from the research that study findings of bene­fits for the male population have simply been extrapolated to include women as well. Of course, Pfizer makes no mention of this in its advertising or product labeling regarding use by women.

It is most interesting to note that none of the studies that included women with a mixture of risk factors provided any statistically significant support for prescribing Lipitor or other statins to protect against cardiovas­cular disease, researchers said. Pfizer’s claims of clinical proof that Lipitor reduces the risk of heart disease in women appear to be unfounded and aimed more at marketing billions of dollars worth of the product than pro­viding any real help.

This research gives credence to looking at methods beyond drugs to achieve cholesterol reduction and overall heart health. A combination of a healthy diet with reduced intake of meats and dairy products, in con­junction with exercise, has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. A wellness consultation with a natural healthcare professional would be a good place to start to arrive at a diet and exercise program which promotes healthy living for both women and men.

Source: Science Daily. “Top-selling Cholesterol Drug Does Little for Women, Study Suggests.”
September 2008. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145147.htm