It's All About The Drugs
Ever notice that the only medical tests which get
billed as "important" are the ones that have an associated
drug that can be sold to consumers? I've been watching
this phenomenon for over a decade. Today in the news
we see another classic example.
The study, which looked at using hs-CRP as one marker for
heart disease risk, claims that following this number offers no
additional benefit over following traditional markers such as
cholesterol levels, weight and blood pressure.
New Markers Won't Help Docs Assess Heart Disease Risk
(Although numerous other studies have shown that hs-CRP is
a far more sensitive and important marker than cholesterol or
other blood fats). Not coincidentally, drug companies do NOT have
any drugs which effectively lower hs-CRP---- not since the COX-2
inhibitors like Vioxx and Bextra have been taken off the
market because of serious safety concerns.
This study made nomention of LDL, but the implication is that
no other markers are needed except cholesterol, weight and B.P.
Amazingly, there is still a HUGE push to test for LDL. Why?
Because drug companies have statin drugs to sell in response
to high LDL.
What tests and markers should you really watch? Opinions vary
from day to day, but it looks to me from reviewing the medical
literature that, in order of most importance to least importance
(predictive), the numbers to watch are:
1.hs-CRP (most predictive)
2.Total Cholesterol:HDL ratio
3.Total cholesterol and/or possibly LDL (both are on the same par, and
independently the least predictive).
I say "possible" LDL because there are two different kinds of LDL,
one safe and one not, but differentiating between the two
would mean that less people would be prescribed statins, some-
thing the drug companies aren't going to be pushing for any time soon.
Since there are drugs---statins-- that lowers LDL (even though this isn't
one of the most predictive markers), you'l be tested and treated for it.
Believe me, as soon as Big Pharma has an hs-CRP-lowering medication
that is safe, you'll again hear that this is an important and predictive
test.
Other risk factors for heart disease include wight, blood pressure, RBC
(red blood cell) count, platelet count, serum ferritin (storage iron) and fasting blood sugar.
What tests you "need" are determined largely by what drugs Big Pharma
has available to sell you. If they don't have a drug, you'll hear that the test is "unimportant." If they've got a drug, I'm sure you need the test.
In Health,
Dr. Myatt
Find natural remedies for heart disease here.
