Cholesterol and Heart Disease -- Commercial with Dr. Jarvik

[BawdyWench]

I've been treating myself lately by reading every single one of Dr. Mike's blogs. (OK, not the political or general ones, but definitely each and every "scientific" one.)

I just now finished the one on cholesterol and heart disease (http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/?p=62). In it, he writes:


The lipid hypothesis of heart disease is, as Dickens wrote of Scrooge’s partner, Jacob Marley, dead as a doornail, yet, like Marley’s ghost, it continues to haunt us. Why? Because the idea that cholesterol causes heart disease–the lipid hypothesis–has been so frequently repeated for so many years that doctors have forgotten that it is only a hypothesis, not a fact.


Have any of you seen the TV ads featuring Dr. Jarvik (inventor of the artificial heart) touting Lipitor (or one of the myriad statins on the market)?

I believe and agree with Dr. Mike. Just curious what you all think about the TV ad and how a pretty smart guy like Dr. Jarvik can say that high cholesterol causes heart disease.

Does he not read the current literature?

[Doctari]

I think it is likely a case of "when money talks, morals walk".

**Pure hyperbole

"Well, statins don't actually hurt you. So there's nothing wrong with me endorsing them."

This is thought while he swims in his scrooge mcduck style money vault

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f201/FBIHOP/scrooge.jpg

But then again I'm cynical towards the human spirit.

[BawdyWench]

It's really too bad, though. Many (most?) people see Dr. Jarvik as a renowned and extremely intelligent person.

"Gee, if HE says I need this, I MUST need it."

Unfortunately, that ad will mislead many, many people.

[maxlharris]

Uhm, statins may do some pretty grave damage to your liver. As I understand things, life without a liver is a lot worse than life with high levels of LDL and HDL.

I dunno that Jarvik is a bad guy. I would guess that he's pretty old by now and he might be well retired from any kind of active research. But even so, a lot of the best minds buy the lipid hypothesis because they aren't focused on whether it's true or not, just treating the symptoms. It's sad, but it's our world.

[Vivian]

I believe in the South Beach book, the author states that he and every other cardiologist that he knows takes cholesterol medication. That's when I put that book down and re-read Protien Power.