Statins are a good thing, but they raise diabetes 9 percent. I think the benefit of statins out weight the 9 percent change of getting diabetes. If you have a diabetes concern, you may want to first look at you weight. Weight is the first indicator of diabetes. Diabetes can be control by controlling your weight, you control your weight by diet and exercise. Cholesterol can be controlled in the same manner but for some they need statins for extra help. I would be more concern with Rhabdomyalysis which can lead to a kidney problem, which can cause death.

The FDA is clearly not doing it's job. It's approving drugs with only marginal benefits, and with undisclosed side effects. The FDA does not provide consumer protection, and only protects drug companies from lawsuits. We need to get rid of the FDA, and hold drug company CEOs criminally liable for misleading information. That's the only real way to protect the public. If CEOs were under threat of going to jail for withholding information (such as the diabetes risk from statins), we wouldn't have this problem. The current system just allows these drug companies to hide behind the FDA.

No way should a person take drugs just to take drugs. Stupid stuff like this is why health care costs are skyrocketing. People are no longer cured, they just live the rest of their lives on drugs.

I don't get it ... taking medicine for a condition you don' t have, and there are no proven benefits that it has any preventitive effects.  What is the FDA thinking...Hmmmm, let's just the drug companies try to increase their profits at the public's expense, selling us a bill of goods that is not really in our best interest.  More documentation on the part of the drug companies to support their position, but frankly I'll just stay drug free...can't afford them anyway!!!!

Another financial triumph for Big Pharm. Shame on the ineffectual FDA and medical business for aiding this scam.

Hey Popo, thanks for the info about rhabdomyalsis, My late Wife developed kidney failure after being put on crestor and another genetic statin drug and had to be put on dialysis. She was also taking coumadin (warfarin, used for killing rats)and suffered a stroke when Her blood became to thin. We were told that problems do rarely occur with statins but was not so in this case. I could go on but the bottom line is beware of any studies that are paid for by the drug companies any any government bureau looking out for us. The best person to look after Your health is the one in the mirror.

It's AZ's ploy to have Crestor become #1 over Lipitor. Just another money maker for the pharmaceutical industry. Health care costs continue to skyrocket, we continue to think a pill will make us healthy rather than eating the right foods in the correct amounts and getting some exercise rather than sitting in front of all of our electronic gadgets watching our butts and waistlines expand! Just pop another pill along with that donut, bag of chips, double whopper burger, and supersized fries and cola.

I have a feeling they are in this for profit, not to improve YOUR health.

America, I have a secret to share with you.  You can lower your risk for heart conditions, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and many other chronic diseases. NOT WITH A PILL.  Here's the big secret, eat plant based, whole food (unrefined foods) diet.  But be careful when giving out this advice to others as it usually stirs up a hostile reaction.  I'm sure the statin drug manufacturers wouldn't want you to know that an apple (and alike foods) could replace their drugs in.

One caveat America, you are going to have to break your addiction to excessive junk processed foods and an over abundance of animal products (you don't have to go totally vegan).

Good luck America.

Another warning to us and a reminder to trust our own instincts to guide us in doing what is best for our bodies! I think we are all healthier if we stay *away* from the medical establishment. Be a "non-compliant" patient if you have to. It's obvious that the research done here and the FDA approval is all done in the name of expanding market share and gaining profit. These folks don't really care about your health.

Oh My God, stop it already!! Stop shoving drugs down our throats and lining your pockets!!! These ad campaigns make me sick, isn't there a pill to stop them???!!!

I find it interesting that the drug companies state there are minimal side effects from statins. I can't take statins because of the terrible side effects. I questioned my doctor about the problem and he said 40% of his patients are allergic to statins (minor to major side effects) Where is everyone getting their numbers from???????

I am very allergic to statins........my doctor tells me that up to 40% of his patients are also allergic (minor to major allergies) Where is the info coming from that statins are safe?????

Male, 35 - Daily - 81 mg ASA + 10 mg Crestor = LE +10 years!

Your a lucky man.......

Wow, really? I mean this is now just pathetic. Why bother even attempting a healthy (and what used to be NORMAL) lifestyle when you can just bend over to big pharm??

If a doctor ever recommends that I take a statin drug, I will refuse - I've heard from many people of the horrible side effects these drugs can cause - dizziness, drowsiness, bad dreams, and even sexual problems. I'm guessing most folks can lower BP, Cholesterol, and weight through diet and exercise. Via the FDA and medical profession, the big pharmacy money maching keep rolling it in.

I'm sick and tired of drug companies pushing their drugs to healthy people. If a person is not sick, they should not take any drugs. Even if a person has minor issues, he or she should consider natural alternatives to drugs such as hard exercise and proper nutrition. I stay as far away from drugs as possible and never had an issue I was not able to address naturally.

As Jack LaLane has said many times, "If man makes it don't eat it!" I live my life this way along with my family with no issues what so ever.

Go back to basics and forget about the rest!

So is the goal to get everyone in the country on this drug? That's what I get out of this article; if you're healthy then you should take it too so who should NOT take it? Typical of our drug culture. Ironically, pot is illegal but everyone is still on drugs that are far worse. If the drug companies could find a way to control pot it would be legal too. I've never even smoked a cigarette in my life let alone pot but it's just an observation. Wonder why medical costs are so high? Who pays for people to be on all these drugs? For the most part it's insurance companies. Not saying they're perfect but before people villify insurance companies, which seems to be the thing to do these days, they should consider the massive amounts of money they have to pay to drug companies. It's not cheap to keep this country drugged up.

I rank big pharma in the same category as the Taliban. EVIL EVIL EVIL!!!! And they are even more evil when you actually do need them!!!!!

I personally had a bad experience with these drugs. I took zocor for a yr with no side effects. A new physician doubled the dose and within weeks I had severe muscle spasms in my upper back. The physician said "keep taking", but the pharmacist advised this was a side effect. I stopped taking the med but the muscle spasms would re-occur often--very painful.

A few years later, a new doctor chose crestor for me. It, too, was ok for a while, but then (about 5-6 wks later) muscle spasms started again. I have never had high blood pressure but have high cholesterol--not diet related, doctors state.

One strange thing I've noticed--your cholesterol lowers quickly, but apparently doesn't rid your body of the buildup; weeks after stopping, my cholesterol was high again. If it indeed gets rid of the cholesterol why does it return so quickly? Again, my level is NOT diet related they said, weight not involved either (not overweight).

I believe these statins harmed my health. Even 4+ yrs later, I can't ride or sit long periods because of upper back muscle spasms I did not have before using statins.

have a holistically inclined doctor. a few yrs ago i was diagnosed with a 240 chol. level- even tho i eat whole grains, beans, fish etc. high chol. levels run in my family but i have no other risk factors for heart attack. my doc said i was too young for statins (37), and after trying out some natural remedies like niacin (which lowered my levels by 30 pts but to which my body adjusted) he switched me to fish oil. for about 2.5 yrs i've taken 4-6 grams/day and my chol went from 240 to 210. my body has not adjusted to the fish oil and my chol has steadied. my LDL/HDL ratios are superb even if my overall chol is still borderline high. my doc says that the oil has lowered my levels as much as statins would, but i have the added benefits of better skin, joints and the best part - i lost 12 lbs and have kept it off. the fish oil, taken before meals, makes me feel full (it's pure fat after all) so i eat less. I hear ppl complain all the time about statin side effects- i'd say if you have lots of risk factors then go on statins, but youn(ish) relatively healthy ppl with few factors should go the natural route. i agree with all on here who say big pharma is trying to make a buck off this. studies funded by pharma or any company are inherently flawed (European govts fund these studies themselves to avoid bias) and this is one of them. but we are also suckers to believe that pills will cure everything.

Doctors have tried me on three statins, Crestor, Zocor and Lipitor. All three gave me severe muscle pain. While on Zocor, I nearly lost the ability to walk because the pain was so severe, I could barely take a step. These are dangerous drugs and the FDA should be ashamed to have cleared them for public use. I pray these meds are never allowed to be sold OTC.

I currently take Tricor, which is not a statin, along with Niaspan (pharma dose of Niacin) to try to control my triglycerides and cholesterol. I've had two attacks of pancreatitis due to high triglycerides. The meds alone won't lower the levels. Diet and exercise are essential.

Here is a great article from Jack LaLanne that talks about how to live a long and healthy life (please note that no drugs are ever involved at the ripe old age of 91):

http://www.shareguide.com/LaLanne2.html

Check out what the 9% risk of diabetes means http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)61965-6/fulltext#

It means for ever 255 persons who take a statin for 4 years 1 will get diabetes because of the pill. Taking Crestor for 2 years will prevent 1 heart attack for every 500 people taking the pill.

Hellllooooo?

But this is the tip of the iceberg folks. You can find similar numbers for other preventive measures. Screening mammography in women age 40-49: Over 10 years 1 woman will have her life saved from the test for every 2000 women who participate; 10 women in 2000 will be diagnosed with a curable cancer that would never have caused symptoms in her life (called an unnecessary diagnosis or over diagnosis) these 10 women will undergo treatment and be told they were saved by early detection when in fact they were harmed.

PSA screening for men: 1 man will have his life prolonged by screening while 48 will be diagnosed unnecessarily

Colon Cancer screening: We have no controlled clinical trials proving more benefit than harm! The best estimation is the colonoscopy decreases mortality 60%. It is widely accepted that each colonoscopy carries a 2 per 1000 risk of a major complication such as bleeding, perforation or heart attack due to anesthesia (conscious sedation) . The risk of dying of colon cancer over 10 years at age 55 is 4 in 1000 meaning we might save 2 people for every 1000 screened and we will harm 2 per 1000 tests! Most people get 2 or more colonoscopy procedures every 10 years as part of screening due to the large numbers of tubular adenomas.

Blockbuster preventive vaccines have similar data. Prevnar has zero proven mortality reduction and overwhelming evidence of increased multi-drug resistant bacteria. Gardasil was shown to reduce abnormal paps in women of an average age 20, abnormal paps in women 20 or younger is now ignored because young women clear HPV regardless of serotype. There is good evidence that the chickenpox shot has started to spike the shingles rate , look up acyclovir shortage.

Antidepressants and the serotonin hypothesis was a marketing scam widely debunked by main stream medicine but ignored because the profits are so obscene.

We have an unimaginable amount or resources going to waste to the benefit of the medical industrial complex, health care reform is an attempt to inject 30 million paying customers into a dying system. Do your best not to participate and learn everything you can from sources NOT trying to sell you something. The news never used to report on the down sides to these fads and this is the 1st time I've seen absolute/relative risk mentioned in a news article. We are at the turning of the tide my friends. The democrats, the republicans, the independents, the libertarians, the greens, the socialists, the communists NONE of them are the answer. YOU ARE THE ANSWER. The system depends on your participation to survive.

STARVE IT