Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Which has more sugar? 1 Cup of Honey Smacks or a Twinkie? 1 Cup of Cheerios or 3 Chips Ahoy Cookies? http://ping.fm/JgfKL
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Looking for Children's Vitamin?This is what we give our kids!10% off this week only! http://shop.truewellnessdr.com/Catalyn-Chewable-Catalyn.htm
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Children and Scoliosis
The Importance of getting Children Checked for Scoliosis. http://ping.fm/u0b4i
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
New Stuffed Animal Drive! Need your help!
In memory of Erin Patton, McKernan Chiropractic is hosting a Stuffed Animal Drive @ our office thru October 2, 2011. All the stuffed animals that are collected will be donated to Pediatric Patient's @ Children's Hospital of Detroit & St. John's Main. NEW Stuffed Animals or money donations will be excepted. We will shop for the stuffed animals if a $ donation is received; We accept PayPal payments - macn8@comcast.net. Please help us make this stuffed animal drive a huge success for our dear friend's, The Patton's
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Pain
If you’re experiencing pain, making it go away is an understandable goal. What is the purpose of pain? Why are we equipped to experience this unpleasant feeling?
Identify Limits
Pain is a way our body tells us we’ve reached a boundary. When our finger exceeds the limits of the joint function for which it was designed for, we experience pain.
Like highway signs, pain is a warning sign. Ignore it at your own risk!
Provide Warning
Pain is a signal our body uses to alert us that something isn’t working correctly. Physical pain, social pain and even psychological pain is a warning that something must change.
Avoid Injury
Ultimately, pain is a form of self-protection. Without experiencing pain, we might do more serious, irreversible damage to ourselves.
Pain is a Warning Signal! Understandably, we want pain to disappear. A convenient way is to ingest a drug that covers-up or fools the body. As you might expect, this strategy can make the underlying problem worsen, making it more difficult and expensive to correct.
If you’re experiencing pain, making it go away is an understandable goal. What is the purpose of pain? Why are we equipped to experience this unpleasant feeling?
Identify Limits
Pain is a way our body tells us we’ve reached a boundary. When our finger exceeds the limits of the joint function for which it was designed for, we experience pain.
Like highway signs, pain is a warning sign. Ignore it at your own risk!
Provide Warning
Pain is a signal our body uses to alert us that something isn’t working correctly. Physical pain, social pain and even psychological pain is a warning that something must change.
Avoid Injury
Ultimately, pain is a form of self-protection. Without experiencing pain, we might do more serious, irreversible damage to ourselves.
Pain is a Warning Signal! Understandably, we want pain to disappear. A convenient way is to ingest a drug that covers-up or fools the body. As you might expect, this strategy can make the underlying problem worsen, making it more difficult and expensive to correct.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Five easy tips for packing a healthy school lunch that your kids will actually eat! http://ping.fm/5ERfg
Friday, August 12, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
ADHD: The answer is not always In A Pill http://ping.fm/T8tU1 Natural testing avail. at www.truewellnessdr.com
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Jordan Rubins New Organic Resource Store. FIND EVERYTHING HERE! SIGN UP NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
http://ping.fm/ESLJq
Jordan Rubin is the author of "The Maker's Diet" and has created an Organic Company that is out of this world. If you buy anything Organic or would like to start, you NEED to check out his website.
http://ping.fm/ESLJq
Jordan Rubin is the author of "The Maker's Diet" and has created an Organic Company that is out of this world. If you buy anything Organic or would like to start, you NEED to check out his website.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Radiation in US milk supplies at levels 300% higher than EPA maximums! http://www.naturalnews.com/032048_radiation_milk.html#ixzz1JK31K5R6
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
25 Ways to Detox Your Life
Posted on March 21, 2011 by Integrative Nutrition
1. Our resident raw food guru and Integrative Nutrition guest teacher David Wolfe talks about getting started with detox in this short but super informative video.
2. When detoxing your diet, food really matters. The film Food Matters offers a Detox and Rejuvenation Guide e-book that helps you apply the principals in the movie to remove processed, illness-causing foods from your diet.
3. Integrative Nutrition guest teacher Dr. Mark Hyman gives you everything you need to complete a safe, effective, and medically informed detoxification program at home in The Detox Box.
4. Find the right moves to twist and detox yourself into healthy bliss with Yoga Journal’s Go Podcast: Twist and Detox.
5. Revamp and detox your current routine with the “Reinvent Yourself 21 Day Detox eProgram” by Find Your Balance Health (Michelle Pfennighaus—an Integrative Nutrition graduate).
6. To prepare for a successful spring detox, check out this jam-packed foods and shopping list.
7. Take this quiz to see if you are a Detox Diva and get all the facts, even if you’re not quite the Aretha Franklin of detoxing yet.
8. Serious about detoxing your home? Many toxins, especially indoors, are within our control to regulate. PlanetGreen gives a comprehensive Room-by-Room Guide to creating a chemical free home.
9. Dr. Furhman’s Five-Day Super-Diet Challenge offers the chance to give your body a real cleanse with high-quality foods.
10. Striving for health, but pressed for time? Check out Pressed Juicery, a juice company with a cult following of celebrities started by an Integrative Nutrition grad. Check out their shippable menu and cleanse programs.
11. Ready to detox the meat out of your diet? Try Neal Barnard’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart will get motivated.
12. Feel like you can’t seem to find your life amongst all of the clutter? Check out this helpful guide to clear your clutter and find your life.
13. Lemons & Loafers, a fashion and health blog Integrative Nutrition grad Julia Argenti, helps others look and feel great, and also offers guided cleanses through out the year.
14. Skin brushing can detox the largest organ of the body. Organic Passion’s “How to detox your skin” is a complete guide on how to use skin brushing for detoxification.
15. Make your own. Since many cleaning products are full of harmful chemicals, Eco-cycle gives easy recipes for making your own cleaning products.
16. Need some ideas to get started on the whole decluttering process? Zen Habits shares its 15 Great Decluttering Tips.
17. Debunk myths to clear out the space for decluttering! The Happiness Project reveals 11 myths of decluttering to help in your efforts!
18. The skin is one of our biggest organs, so tea drinkers, try pairing Yogi Tea’s “Skin Detox” with an easy weekend skin detox from Natural Health Magazine.
19. Detox the SAD (Standard American Diet) out of your life. Integrative Nutrition grad and author, Alex Jamieson, who also appeared in the film Super Size Me, gives us The great American Detox Diet.
20. Crazy Sexy detox this spring with wellness warrior Kris Carr’s new book Crazy Sexy Diet for the ultimate guide to cleaning up your body and your mind.
21. Integrative Nutrition guest teacher John Douillard shows you how the ancient science of Ayurveda provides a healthy daily routine and eating plan that will detoxify your body naturally on his Ayurveda for Detox DVD.
22. We’ve all heard of detoxing your body, but what about detoxing your day?
23. Top ten list on how to detox your home for babies and kids from author Alexandra Zissu of The Complete Organic Pregnancy. These tips go well beyond the standard advice.
24. Easy-to-follow detox ideas from Frank Lipman's checklist of 20 Ways to 'Detox' Your Home.
25. You say Juice, some say Joos. Joos To Your Health! is a juice company started by an Integrative Nutrition grad that helps properly support you through juice cleanses.
26. BONUS: Need to get rid of stuff? Recycle with Freecycle their mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills.
Posted on March 21, 2011 by Integrative Nutrition
1. Our resident raw food guru and Integrative Nutrition guest teacher David Wolfe talks about getting started with detox in this short but super informative video.
2. When detoxing your diet, food really matters. The film Food Matters offers a Detox and Rejuvenation Guide e-book that helps you apply the principals in the movie to remove processed, illness-causing foods from your diet.
3. Integrative Nutrition guest teacher Dr. Mark Hyman gives you everything you need to complete a safe, effective, and medically informed detoxification program at home in The Detox Box.
4. Find the right moves to twist and detox yourself into healthy bliss with Yoga Journal’s Go Podcast: Twist and Detox.
5. Revamp and detox your current routine with the “Reinvent Yourself 21 Day Detox eProgram” by Find Your Balance Health (Michelle Pfennighaus—an Integrative Nutrition graduate).
6. To prepare for a successful spring detox, check out this jam-packed foods and shopping list.
7. Take this quiz to see if you are a Detox Diva and get all the facts, even if you’re not quite the Aretha Franklin of detoxing yet.
8. Serious about detoxing your home? Many toxins, especially indoors, are within our control to regulate. PlanetGreen gives a comprehensive Room-by-Room Guide to creating a chemical free home.
9. Dr. Furhman’s Five-Day Super-Diet Challenge offers the chance to give your body a real cleanse with high-quality foods.
10. Striving for health, but pressed for time? Check out Pressed Juicery, a juice company with a cult following of celebrities started by an Integrative Nutrition grad. Check out their shippable menu and cleanse programs.
11. Ready to detox the meat out of your diet? Try Neal Barnard’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart will get motivated.
12. Feel like you can’t seem to find your life amongst all of the clutter? Check out this helpful guide to clear your clutter and find your life.
13. Lemons & Loafers, a fashion and health blog Integrative Nutrition grad Julia Argenti, helps others look and feel great, and also offers guided cleanses through out the year.
14. Skin brushing can detox the largest organ of the body. Organic Passion’s “How to detox your skin” is a complete guide on how to use skin brushing for detoxification.
15. Make your own. Since many cleaning products are full of harmful chemicals, Eco-cycle gives easy recipes for making your own cleaning products.
16. Need some ideas to get started on the whole decluttering process? Zen Habits shares its 15 Great Decluttering Tips.
17. Debunk myths to clear out the space for decluttering! The Happiness Project reveals 11 myths of decluttering to help in your efforts!
18. The skin is one of our biggest organs, so tea drinkers, try pairing Yogi Tea’s “Skin Detox” with an easy weekend skin detox from Natural Health Magazine.
19. Detox the SAD (Standard American Diet) out of your life. Integrative Nutrition grad and author, Alex Jamieson, who also appeared in the film Super Size Me, gives us The great American Detox Diet.
20. Crazy Sexy detox this spring with wellness warrior Kris Carr’s new book Crazy Sexy Diet for the ultimate guide to cleaning up your body and your mind.
21. Integrative Nutrition guest teacher John Douillard shows you how the ancient science of Ayurveda provides a healthy daily routine and eating plan that will detoxify your body naturally on his Ayurveda for Detox DVD.
22. We’ve all heard of detoxing your body, but what about detoxing your day?
23. Top ten list on how to detox your home for babies and kids from author Alexandra Zissu of The Complete Organic Pregnancy. These tips go well beyond the standard advice.
24. Easy-to-follow detox ideas from Frank Lipman's checklist of 20 Ways to 'Detox' Your Home.
25. You say Juice, some say Joos. Joos To Your Health! is a juice company started by an Integrative Nutrition grad that helps properly support you through juice cleanses.
26. BONUS: Need to get rid of stuff? Recycle with Freecycle their mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Getfit for Summer with our Detoxification kit. Starting April 6th we will be holding a Group kickoff date at our office 586-532-1448. http://ping.fm/ERNoU
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Who wants to do the Half Marathon April 30th in Mt. Clemens with me?! http://ping.fm/QALTo's_Move_Festival_of_Races
Five Reasons People Consult Our Practice:
Which one will prompt you to take action?
http://ping.fm/SV9Ob
Everyone, regardless of age or condition, can benefit from a nervous system that is working at its very best.
Obvious Spinal Problem
Most people associate chiropractic care with headaches, neck and back problems. Our interest in the spine is because it houses the nervous system that carries vital communications between your brain and your body.
Visceral or Organic Complaints
Some consult our practice for “non-back” health problems. If the patient has subluxations, chiropractic care may be helpful. And while formal research is limited, we've had personal experiences with those suffering from bedwetting, asthma, colic and even stomach problems.
Natural Drug Free Health Care
Those who wish to avoid drugs or surgery will often visit our practice first. Chiropractic care is a safe, natural approach to better health.
Maintenance and Prevention
If you’ve had chiropractic care elsewhere, you already know the value of ongoing chiropractic care. We’d be honored to be your chiropractor.
Stay Well
We experience life through our nervous system. Those who want to optimize their health, be all that they can be and perform at their best, contact McKernan Chiropractic.
Begin your chiropractic care today.
http://ping.fm/SV9Ob
Everyone, regardless of age or condition, can benefit from a nervous system that is working at its very best.
Obvious Spinal Problem
Most people associate chiropractic care with headaches, neck and back problems. Our interest in the spine is because it houses the nervous system that carries vital communications between your brain and your body.
Visceral or Organic Complaints
Some consult our practice for “non-back” health problems. If the patient has subluxations, chiropractic care may be helpful. And while formal research is limited, we've had personal experiences with those suffering from bedwetting, asthma, colic and even stomach problems.
Natural Drug Free Health Care
Those who wish to avoid drugs or surgery will often visit our practice first. Chiropractic care is a safe, natural approach to better health.
Maintenance and Prevention
If you’ve had chiropractic care elsewhere, you already know the value of ongoing chiropractic care. We’d be honored to be your chiropractor.
Stay Well
We experience life through our nervous system. Those who want to optimize their health, be all that they can be and perform at their best, contact McKernan Chiropractic.
Begin your chiropractic care today.
Five Reasons People Consult Our Practice:
Which one will prompt you to take action?
Everyone, regardless of age or condition, can benefit from a nervous system that is working at its very best.
Obvious Spinal Problem
Most people associate chiropractic care with headaches, neck and back problems. Our interest in the spine is because it houses the nervous system that carries vital communications between your brain and your body.
Visceral or Organic Complaints
Some consult our practice for “non-back” health problems. If the patient has subluxations, chiropractic care may be helpful. And while formal research is limited, we've had personal experiences with those suffering from bedwetting, asthma, colic and even stomach problems.
Natural Drug Free Health Care
Those who wish to avoid drugs or surgery will often visit our practice first. Chiropractic care is a safe, natural approach to better health.
Maintenance and Prevention
If you’ve had chiropractic care elsewhere, you already know the value of ongoing chiropractic care. We’d be honored to be your chiropractor.
Stay Well
We experience life through our nervous system. Those who want to optimize their health, be all that they can be and perform at their best, contact McKernan Chiropractic.
Begin your chiropractic care today.
Which one will prompt you to take action?
Everyone, regardless of age or condition, can benefit from a nervous system that is working at its very best.
Obvious Spinal Problem
Most people associate chiropractic care with headaches, neck and back problems. Our interest in the spine is because it houses the nervous system that carries vital communications between your brain and your body.
Visceral or Organic Complaints
Some consult our practice for “non-back” health problems. If the patient has subluxations, chiropractic care may be helpful. And while formal research is limited, we've had personal experiences with those suffering from bedwetting, asthma, colic and even stomach problems.
Natural Drug Free Health Care
Those who wish to avoid drugs or surgery will often visit our practice first. Chiropractic care is a safe, natural approach to better health.
Maintenance and Prevention
If you’ve had chiropractic care elsewhere, you already know the value of ongoing chiropractic care. We’d be honored to be your chiropractor.
Stay Well
We experience life through our nervous system. Those who want to optimize their health, be all that they can be and perform at their best, contact McKernan Chiropractic.
Begin your chiropractic care today.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
THESE ARE ACTUAL SIDE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG!
Suit: Man Claims Glaxo Drug Made Him a 'Gay Sex Addict'
Published January 31, 2011
| FoxNews.com
A 51-year-old married father of two is suing GlaxoSmithKline, saying the pharmaceutical company’s drug he took for Parkinson's disease has turned him into a gambling and gay sex addict, Agence France-Presse reported.
Didier Jambart, of Nantes, France, began taking Requip (ropinirole) in 2003, which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease -- a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement, muscle control and balance.
Jambart’s attorney said his client attempted suicide three times after he lost his family’s savings to Internet gambling and stole money for his habit.
Jambart alleges he also became a “compulsive gay sex addict and began exposing himself on the Internet and cross-dressing.” Jambart’s attorney said these antics led his client to be raped.
Jambart stopped taking the drug in 2005, but by that time he had already been demoted from his job and was suffering psychological trauma. He is seeking $610,000 in damages from Glaxo, and his neurologist, whom he says did not accurately warn him about the drug’s potential side effects.
Among other label warnings, the National Institutes of Health lists these precautions for the drug Requip, which is also used to treat restless legs syndrome:
• Tell your doctor if you have ever had an urge to gamble that was difficult to control and if you have or have ever had unexpected daytime sleepiness or a sleep disorder other than restless legs syndrome; high or low blood pressure; a psychotic disorder (mental illness that causes abnormal thinking or perceptions); or heart, liver, or kidney disease
• You should know that some people who took medications such as ropinirole developed gambling problems or other intense urges or behaviors that were compulsive or unusual for them, such as increased sexual urges or behaviors. There is not enough information to tell whether the people developed these problems because they took the medication or for other reasons. Call your doctor if you have an urge to gamble that is difficult to control, you have intense urges, or you are unable to control your behavior.
Jambart’s attorney said these warnings only appeared on the drug’s label in 2006, after his client stopped taking the medicine.
Glaxo would not comment to the AFP on the case
Suit: Man Claims Glaxo Drug Made Him a 'Gay Sex Addict'
Published January 31, 2011
| FoxNews.com
A 51-year-old married father of two is suing GlaxoSmithKline, saying the pharmaceutical company’s drug he took for Parkinson's disease has turned him into a gambling and gay sex addict, Agence France-Presse reported.
Didier Jambart, of Nantes, France, began taking Requip (ropinirole) in 2003, which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease -- a disorder of the nervous system that affects movement, muscle control and balance.
Jambart’s attorney said his client attempted suicide three times after he lost his family’s savings to Internet gambling and stole money for his habit.
Jambart alleges he also became a “compulsive gay sex addict and began exposing himself on the Internet and cross-dressing.” Jambart’s attorney said these antics led his client to be raped.
Jambart stopped taking the drug in 2005, but by that time he had already been demoted from his job and was suffering psychological trauma. He is seeking $610,000 in damages from Glaxo, and his neurologist, whom he says did not accurately warn him about the drug’s potential side effects.
Among other label warnings, the National Institutes of Health lists these precautions for the drug Requip, which is also used to treat restless legs syndrome:
• Tell your doctor if you have ever had an urge to gamble that was difficult to control and if you have or have ever had unexpected daytime sleepiness or a sleep disorder other than restless legs syndrome; high or low blood pressure; a psychotic disorder (mental illness that causes abnormal thinking or perceptions); or heart, liver, or kidney disease
• You should know that some people who took medications such as ropinirole developed gambling problems or other intense urges or behaviors that were compulsive or unusual for them, such as increased sexual urges or behaviors. There is not enough information to tell whether the people developed these problems because they took the medication or for other reasons. Call your doctor if you have an urge to gamble that is difficult to control, you have intense urges, or you are unable to control your behavior.
Jambart’s attorney said these warnings only appeared on the drug’s label in 2006, after his client stopped taking the medicine.
Glaxo would not comment to the AFP on the case
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Statin Benefits Questioned in Low-Risk Patients
Published January 19, 2011
| Reuters
Print Email Share Comments (1) Text Size
People without heart disease should think twice before taking cholesterol-lowering statins, British researchers warn in a report out Wednesday.
While the popular drugs require a prescription in the U.S., they are sold over the counter in England, and one in three Brits over 40 are currently using them, according to researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
In a review of the medical literature, they found the drugs did appear to slash deaths ever so slightly in patients at low risk of heart disease. But many of the reports they looked at – all but one funded by drugmakers – were flawed.
In particular, while all the studies focused on benefits, only half provided information on the side effects of the drugs, said Dr. Shah Ebrahim, whose group's findings are published by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.
"There is evidence that the reports cherry-picked the best outcomes for presentation," he added, "which will tend to inflate apparent benefits of treatment."
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE
INTERESTED IN
Traveling Man's Gun Arrest Appealed to Supreme Court Jennifer Aniston Rocks New Bangs in Allure, Reveals Her Body's Problem Area Two Documents Every Baby Boomer Needs to Have for Death Planning 8 Misconceptions College Students Have About Money Theater of the Absurd From Jintao and Obama Ebrahim and colleagues found 14 trials that tested statins in more than 34,000 patients, most of whom were considered at low risk of heart attack and strokes — the world's top killers.
Pooling the results, they estimated that treating 1,000 people with statins for one year would lower the number of deaths from nine to eight.
Statins — including Pfizer's Lipitor and AstraZeneca's Crestor – help prevent new heart attacks in people who've already had one, but the effects are less certain in individuals at lower risk.
The drugs also appeared to reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes – fatal and not – and the need for surgery.
While there appeared to be no difference in side effects between trials participants taking dummy pills and statins, the researchers say those results aren't credible.
"Any appraisal we can make of adverse events is biased by failure to report these events," Ebrahim said in an e-mail to Reuters Health.
"We believe that trial funders, investigators and journal editors have failed to provide adequate information to doctors and their patients to assess the benefits and harms of statins in primary prevention."
One statin, a generic drug called simvastatin, is already available in low doses over the counter at pharmacies in Britain without a prescription, at a cost of only a few pence per pill.
But Ebrahim advised people to think twice before buying the drug, even if they have raised cholesterol levels.
"If you have self-prescribed a statin, buy it "over the counter" in a pharmacy, or do not know your level of risk and are taking a statin, get a check of your level of cardiovascular risk and discuss your decision with your family doctor," he urged.
Pfizer said it was still reviewing the new report, but noted that the safety and efficacy of Lipitor has been studied in more than 80,000 patients.
"Managing cardiovascular disease risk factors is complicated, and prescribing decisions should be based on a physician's full assessment of each patient's individual risk factors and needs," said spokesman MacKay Jimeson.
Dr. Franz Messerli, who heads the hypertension program at two New York hospitals, St. Luke's and Roosevelt, echoed the cautious message from the British researchers.
While statins are pretty safe drugs, Messerli said, they may cause muscle and joint pain in some patients. And their long-term effect on muscle tissue is unknown.
"If you have a very small benefit, you better make sure that the downside is minimal," he told Reuters Health.
Published January 19, 2011
| Reuters
Print Email Share Comments (1) Text Size
People without heart disease should think twice before taking cholesterol-lowering statins, British researchers warn in a report out Wednesday.
While the popular drugs require a prescription in the U.S., they are sold over the counter in England, and one in three Brits over 40 are currently using them, according to researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
In a review of the medical literature, they found the drugs did appear to slash deaths ever so slightly in patients at low risk of heart disease. But many of the reports they looked at – all but one funded by drugmakers – were flawed.
In particular, while all the studies focused on benefits, only half provided information on the side effects of the drugs, said Dr. Shah Ebrahim, whose group's findings are published by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.
"There is evidence that the reports cherry-picked the best outcomes for presentation," he added, "which will tend to inflate apparent benefits of treatment."
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE
INTERESTED IN
Traveling Man's Gun Arrest Appealed to Supreme Court Jennifer Aniston Rocks New Bangs in Allure, Reveals Her Body's Problem Area Two Documents Every Baby Boomer Needs to Have for Death Planning 8 Misconceptions College Students Have About Money Theater of the Absurd From Jintao and Obama Ebrahim and colleagues found 14 trials that tested statins in more than 34,000 patients, most of whom were considered at low risk of heart attack and strokes — the world's top killers.
Pooling the results, they estimated that treating 1,000 people with statins for one year would lower the number of deaths from nine to eight.
Statins — including Pfizer's Lipitor and AstraZeneca's Crestor – help prevent new heart attacks in people who've already had one, but the effects are less certain in individuals at lower risk.
The drugs also appeared to reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes – fatal and not – and the need for surgery.
While there appeared to be no difference in side effects between trials participants taking dummy pills and statins, the researchers say those results aren't credible.
"Any appraisal we can make of adverse events is biased by failure to report these events," Ebrahim said in an e-mail to Reuters Health.
"We believe that trial funders, investigators and journal editors have failed to provide adequate information to doctors and their patients to assess the benefits and harms of statins in primary prevention."
One statin, a generic drug called simvastatin, is already available in low doses over the counter at pharmacies in Britain without a prescription, at a cost of only a few pence per pill.
But Ebrahim advised people to think twice before buying the drug, even if they have raised cholesterol levels.
"If you have self-prescribed a statin, buy it "over the counter" in a pharmacy, or do not know your level of risk and are taking a statin, get a check of your level of cardiovascular risk and discuss your decision with your family doctor," he urged.
Pfizer said it was still reviewing the new report, but noted that the safety and efficacy of Lipitor has been studied in more than 80,000 patients.
"Managing cardiovascular disease risk factors is complicated, and prescribing decisions should be based on a physician's full assessment of each patient's individual risk factors and needs," said spokesman MacKay Jimeson.
Dr. Franz Messerli, who heads the hypertension program at two New York hospitals, St. Luke's and Roosevelt, echoed the cautious message from the British researchers.
While statins are pretty safe drugs, Messerli said, they may cause muscle and joint pain in some patients. And their long-term effect on muscle tissue is unknown.
"If you have a very small benefit, you better make sure that the downside is minimal," he told Reuters Health.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Anyone looking to lose tons of weight in 2011? And feel the best they have ever felt? Don't miss our next Makeover!
http://ping.fm/uGrjU
http://ping.fm/uGrjU
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