2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumWhy is no one asking about Trump being on a statin?
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:
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
(23,599 posts)Real issues are what is important.
stopbush
(24,398 posts)mainer
(12,037 posts)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".
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
(12,037 posts)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?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/04/03/statins-do-cause-muscle-pain-scientists-conclude/
GeorgeGist
(25,326 posts)Ilsa
(61,710 posts)specialty in Internal Medicine.
The statin made me wonder about his health, as well.
Croney
(4,674 posts)for some people.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)... 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
(12,037 posts)And it's so common that more than half of patients on statins stop taking them within a year.
"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
(90,978 posts)Just asking
DFW
(54,480 posts)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
(19,828 posts)I just had a nuclear stress test that showed a possible heart attack in the past. They recommend.....a statin.
phleshdef
(11,936 posts)I'm on a low dose statin myself for that very reason.