Controversy
Some scientists believe that statins are overused. Their use has expanded into areas where they provide lesser benefit, and lesser evidence of benefit. The lower the risk of cardiovascular events, the lower the ratio is of benefits to costs. The US market for statins nearly tripled when the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) revised its guidelines to recommend statins as primary prevention. Although the panel cited randomized trials to support statin therapy for primary prevention of occlusive cardiovascular disease, Lancet notes "not one of the studies provides such evidence." Journalists have questioned the interests of the doctors who made such recommendations, as eight out of the nine doctors on the panel were discovered to have been paid by statin manufacturers.
A smaller group of scientists, The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics, question the lipid hypothesis and argue that elevated cholesterol has not been adequately shown to cause heart disease. These organizations maintain that statins are not as beneficial or safe as suggested. It has also been suggested that the beneficial effects of statins are due to their working as Vitamin D analogues.
Read more about this topic: Statin
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