Cholesterol continued

I'm still digging to find the original research, but I did find one of the statistics on the issue of increased cancer risk when taking Vytorin. The report gives the statistic of 106 cases of new cancer in the drug treatment group and 67 cases of new cancer in the group who did not receive any active drug.

There is argument out there that this drug could not be responsible in such a short period as three years. But I ask, what if it is responsible? I would not want my loved ones taking this drug.

More on the cholesterol story

After yesterday's post, I just received some information about Vytorin and it's relationship to an increase in cancer risk. I have not seen any hard data here, but I will look for it to see what is out there and let you know what I find.

Today's words of caution are, if you are on Vytorin and are not feeling well, get to your doctor and possibly stop taking the medication. It's not OK for you to feel ill, have muscle aches and pains while on these types of medications. These are potentially serious side effects that may affect your future health.

This is just more proof that children should not be put on these medications. Let's find out what they really do before we start giving them to our children.

Cholesterol

More on the cholesterol scene. The slick ads on the TV are to get you to purchase a product. Or as the pharmaceutical ads say, "ask your Doctor if this drug may be right for you." I have seen many patients since these ads started who come to the office purely to see if they need to be on the drug. Some patients actually get angry when I have told them no. As a scientist, I look at the research on the drugs to see what the actually numbers are. You and I both know that you can make statistics say whatever you want. The statistics may say that there is a significant difference, but when you actually look at the numbers, it may not be the picture that you think.

The example is Vytorin, a cholesterol drug. Looking at the numbers, I wouldn't say that this drug is any better than some other cholesterol drugs that are out there. If fact, it may not work as well. So why do the drug companies put these ads on TV? They are looking to you the public to ask the doctors to switch you to the latest and greatest drug, which, oh by the way, is going to cost you more and make more money for the drug company.

Be cautious of the TV ads for any drug. My premise has always been that the less medicine you are on the better for you. Yes, sometimes you do need medicines, but not always.

Cholesterol and Children

Recently there was an item in the news about how children were developing high cholesterol and should be treated with statin drugs. This is basically a push from the drug companies to sell more drugs. Drugs that have not been tested in children and are not recommended for children.

Look at the underlying problem here. It is not the high cholesterol. The problem is the increasing obesity in this country. Children are not the only ones, but the drug manufacturers already have the drugs for adults. Now they need a new place to market, so they have chosen the children.

For more on this topic, click here.

One more thing on sodas

Since school is starting, I wanted to give you some thoughts about what alternatives you can offer your children. If your kids are just starting school, you are in the prime educating and modeling phase. If your kids are older and have already developed the soda habit you may face bigger challenges. Remember that teenagers feel invincible, so they may not relate to the medical issues that will face them in the future if they continue drinking sodas. The first step with teens is to get them to cut back on the amount. Have them try some of the things I mentioned in the last entry.

One thing to remember is that kids are looking for energy, perhaps not consciously, but their bodies are craving energy that they are using to grow. One basic food to help them get some of the nutrients they need to grow is fruit. Fruit serves a couple of purposes, one being giving them some good nutrition, but also the natural sweetness in fruit gives them the sweet fix. You too may want to try this to meet your sugar craving.

There is a site specifically for healthy snacks for teens. Check it out for some great suggestions.

So what should I drink?

Now that I have ranted about soft drinks you're probably wondering what should you be drinking. The very best thing you can drink is purified water. Be careful of the flavored waters, as many of these contain calories from sugar. If you want flavored water, take purified water and add some fresh lime or lemon juice. If you absolutely have to have that sweet flavor, add some stevia or sweet leaf, which is a natural sweetener.

Remember that juices contain a fair amount of sugar as well, so drinking juice throughout the day is not a great idea either.

Soft drinks and artificial colorings

Here's another issue regarding soft drinks. The artificial colorings that are added to soft drinks can promote attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The primary culprit is yellow number 5.

I've gotten on a rant here about soft drinks, but we need to be aware of what they are doing to not only us but our children. Some schools have recognized the dangers and removed the machines from their grounds, however, many still have have them. As a parent or educator, think about what this is doing to the health of your children. You do not have control over what your children ingest when they are away from you, so have a plan to minimize the damage