Nemo:
Re: “The notion that aspirin will prevent heart disease in healthy people is nothing but a pharmaceutical farce.”
"In healthy adults." Got that? It's an important part of what they're saying.
If you AREN'T healthy... particularly if you've already had a heart attack or stroke... aspirin's health benefits are hard to deny.
Same for statins. There isn't much evidence that they prevent heart attacks or strokes, but there is pretty good evidence that if you've already had a lipid-related heart attack or stroke, statins are helpful in preventing a second one.
What's not widely understood about cholesterol is that high levels do *NOT* lead to problems . . . except in a minority of the population that has arterial walls vulnerable to plaque buildup. If your arteries aren't prone to plaque buildup - and there is a blood test your doctor can do to find out - then statin drugs should be avoided at all costs since they are dangerous. (They damage the liver.) Having high cholesterol alone is NOT sufficient grounds to be put on statins.
BTW, most doctors do not perform the blood test I just mentioned because it is expensive. But is it as expensive as taking statins for the rest of your life? Absolutely not.
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