*This entry is also published on Warren's Blog
The US FDA has just given the go ahead for AstraZeneca the manufacturer of Crestor the statin drug to promote it to ‘healthy’ individuals who have elevated levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP). CRP is the test used to measure the levels of inflammation in the blood.
Inflammation in the blood is considered by many experts to be a more reliable indicator of a potential heart attack or stroke than cholesterol alone. I agree with this and have been writing about this for the last seven years…but, it is only now that this is getting recognition by mainstream medicine.
Why? Well there have been studies that show that statins do help reduce CRP. This is what AstraZeneca are hanging their ‘hat’ on because there are now good profits to be made.
Why do I say it is ‘amazing’? Because this policy by the FDA is not going to save lives but rather start millions of more innocent consumer on the slippery slope down the road to poor health and drug dependency.
You do NOT need a statin drug to lower CRP. I am sure the FDA knows that! Some quality fish oils will do the same job, cheaper, more effectively with a multitude of other health benefits and NO negative side effects which Crestor is renowned for. In fact, for years various consumer groups have been trying to get it banned.
I say ‘some’ quality fish oils will reduce inflammation or CRP because I know many don’t (and I have the proof). But, I personally know that our Xtend-Life fish oil does work. How? Well, firstly we had an anti-inflammatory study carried out on fish oil last year which showed it had about two and a half times more anti-inflammatory properties than a ‘normal’ fish oil, but…and this is the interesting bit…about 10 days ago I had a series of blood tests and one of them was to check CRP.
The clinic was amazed at the results. My CRP was the lowest they have had in the clinic and was actually better than a typical healthy young child.
Shortly I will be publishing the results. But, first I am having another test for CRP done by another laboratory to confirm the results of the first one…just to rule out there was no mistake.
Nonetheless, because I know that our Omega 3 Fish oil is responsible for these results I would happily issue a challenge to anyone around my age (63) to match my low levels of blood inflammation. The only condition is that they do not take our oil and they DO take a statin drug.
Please, don’t be talked into taking a statin for lowering inflammation in the blood. There are safer and cheaper and healthier ways to achieve that.
For more information about this news item from the NY Times please click here.