Why is no one asking about Trump being on a statin?

[mainer]

Dr. Bornstein's letter says Trump is on a low dose of statin.

A perfectly healthy individual isn't given a statin unless there are indications for it, and those indications are here:

Instead, people will be advised to take a statin if they already have heart disease, if their bad (LDL) cholesterol is extremely high (190 milligrams per deciliter of blood or more) or if they're middle-aged with type 2 diabetes.

People between 40 and 75 years of age with an estimated 10-year risk of heart disease of 7.5 percent or more will also be advised to take a statin. Experts say this new rule could greatly alter the number of patients who will now be advised to take such a drug.

In crafting the new guidelines, experts from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology spent four years examining the data on heart disease care. The new criteria for who should take a statin also now factors in a person's risk for stroke -- something experts believe may also boost the number of people deemed eligible for the drugs.

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20131112/heart-experts-warn-against-crash-diets

So what does Trump have? Pre-existing heart disease? High cholesterol? Type 2 diabetes? A high ten-year risk of heart disease or stroke?

WHICH OF THOSE CONDITIONS is he suffering from?

[mucifer]

1. No big deal. Lots of people his age are on statins.

Real issues are what is important.

[stopbush]

2. Yep. I assumed the OP was being facetious.

[mainer]

4. But not people "who are the healthiest candidate ever"

Statins have side effects (in fact, my husband had a side effect and had to be taken off statins.) And the guidelines specify that they should be prescribed for individuals who have a slightly higher risk of having an atherosclerotic event in the next 10 years.

Why did Trump's doctor feel the need to give Trump a statin? It must be because Trump fits into a category that's at slightly higher risk. Which means SOMETHING about his LDL or blood glucose or family history makes him NOT the "healthiest candidate ever".

Should you be on a statin?

Whether you need to be on a statin depends on your cholesterol level, along with your other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Most people should try to keep their total cholesterol level below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (6.22 millimoles per liter, or mmol/L). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol) should be below 100 mg/dL (3.37 mmol/L).

But the numbers alone won't tell you or your doctor the whole story. High cholesterol is only one of a number of risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

The most important factor to consider is a person's long-term risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. If the risk is very low, there is probably no need for statins, unless the LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L). If the risk is very high — for example, someone who has had a heart attack in the past — the person may benefit from statins, even if his or her cholesterol is not elevated.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/statins/art-20045772

[mainer]

7. ps: both my husband and I are M.D.s

And for both of us, Trump's prescription for a statin leaped out at us.

We've encountered a number of patients who had to go off statins because of severe muscle pains. It's much more common than was previously reported. This drug is not benign. So why would a doctor prescribe it if it was not indicated by either lab tests or family history?

Now, in the first major trial of its kind, researchers at Cleveland Clinic in the US showed that people who had previously reported problems with statins were nearly twice as likely to suffer muscle pains and weakness than those on placebo. Nearly 43 per cent of people taking atorvastatin over 10 weeks suffered side-effects compared to 26 per cent of those on dummy pills, a 61 per cent increased risk.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/04/03/statins-do-cause-muscle-pain-scientists-conclude/

[GeorgeGist]

11. Well he is a gastroenterologist.

[Ilsa]

13. NBC also reported him as having a

specialty in Internal Medicine.

The statin made me wonder about his health, as well.

[Croney]

3. My first reaction, admittedly shallow, was to remember that statins can have sexual side effects

for some people.

[Coyotl]

5. Some people report changes in memory, attention, or concentration on statins.

They may have trouble finding the right word; may forget tasks they started to do; and may have trouble following conversations. Some people describe "holes in their memory." Some people worry that they are developing Alzheimer's. Of course, since people on statin drugs are often older, and may be experiencing age-related loss of memory, it makes it difficult to know whether the drugs are responsible. Many people report improvement in memory and thinking when they stop the drug; or improvement if they go on a lower dose. These findings suggest that the drug is responsible.
... statin drugs on average reduces “cognition,” that is to say, people who were on a statin drug did worse on tests of thinking and memory ability, ...
Other Side Effects
Sleep problems, sexual function problems, fatigue, dizziness and a sense of detachment are also reported with these drugs. Additionally, people have mentioned experiencing swelling, shortness of breath, vision changes, changes in temperature regulation, weight change, hunger, breast enlargement, blood sugar changes, dry skin, rashes, blood pressure changes, nausea, upset stomach, bleeding, and ringing in ears or other noises.

source

This may be why Trump has to wear a manzeer

[mainer]

8. The worst side effect is muscle pains and wasting

And it's so common that more than half of patients on statins stop taking them within a year.

Leading London consultant cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, says many people give up on statins because of the problems.

"Industry sponsored studies are a poor guide to side effects. Real world data show more than half of patients prescribed statins stop them within a year of starting, with 62 per cent stopping because of side effects," he said.

"Randomised trial data on side effects of statins reveal reduced energy and fatigue affecting up to 40 per cent of women taking them."

[Hekate]

12. Is my 20 mg of Crestor considered a low dose?

Just asking

[DFW]

6. Probably the same reason no one asks me

If you've grown up in the USA with a typical middle-class European-American diet, there is a good chance you have some arterial blockage built up. If you have a family history of heart disease (I do), then there is a good chance you will need a statin to survive.

If he had not been such an ass about trying to make an issue out of Hillary's health, then his own health wouldn't be either.

I'm curious to know how low Trump's "low dosage" is. I started over 12 years ago at 10 mg. Now I'm at 40. If Trump is over 80, it's not so "low" any more.

[MFM008]

9. It means something NOT good

I just had a nuclear stress test that showed a possible heart attack in the past. They recommend.....a statin.

[phleshdef]

10. In all likelihood, it probably just means his cholesterol is a little high.

I'm on a low dose statin myself for that very reason.

[UCmeNdc]

14. K&R