3rd October 2004
Quote from rahod:
Statins have now been around for over 15 years and have been taken by tens of millions world wide....WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECTS. That's a simple fact that has stood the test of time. That's what I call a REAL LIFE TEST ;)
No significant adverse effects of statins? :rolleyes:
Baycol Pulled From Market as Numerous Deaths Linked to It
By David Brown
The maker of Baycol (cerivastatin), a popular cholesterol-lowering drug used by about 700,000 Americans, voluntarily pulled the medicine off the market August 8 because of numerous deaths associated with its use.
Officials at the Food and Drug Administration said 31 people have died of complications of severe muscle breakdown, a rare but well-recognized side effect of many cholesterol-lowering drugs. In about one-third of the cases, the person was on a second cholesterol drug, gemfibrozil, known to especially increase the risk of problems.
Baycol is one of six "statins," a popular family of drugs prescribed to about 12 million Americans to treat, and possibly prevent, coronary heart disease. Reports of severe side effects, including death, are at least 10 times more common for Baycol than for other drugs in the class.
The FDA is currently not considering any regulatory action with regard to the other approved statins which are lovastatin (Me****r), pravastatin (Pravachol), Zocor (Zocor), fluvastatin (Lescol) and atorvastatin (Lipitor).