That's Fit

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. said Monday that it is going to stop airing commercials for its cholesterol drug, Lipitor, featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik.

This ad has come under fire lately, chiefly because some feel it misrepresents Robert Jarvik's qualifications. In the commercial, Dr. Jarvik -- who invented the artificial heart -- seems to be offering medical advice, members of a House committee recently stated. However, Dr. Jarvik, by his own admission, is a medical scientist but does not practice clinical medicine or treat individual patients.

Pfizer will voluntarily withdraw the ads featuring Dr. Jarvik and, according to a Pfizer rep, will "...commit to ensuring there is greater clarity in our advertising regarding the presentation of spokespeople."

I'm of the belief that healthy lifestyle habits and food intake could replace the need for so many prescription drugs it would probably make some drug companies collapse.

It's funny -- one industry supplies the junk and processed food to cause many of us health problems, and another industry supplies the supposed solution for fixing all those problems. Yep -- that sounds like a sound basis for a growing economy, right?

To those who would like to lower their overall "bad" cholesterol -- why not put yourself on a strict low-fat diet while losing weight and getting regular exercise instead of just taking a pill to 'cure' all your woes? Here's the reason: pills are easy, lifestyle changes are hard. Oh well -- it's your choice, as always.

It's quite frightening to hear that cholesterol-lowering drugs are being used more by younger adults than even among the senior citizen population, but a report released this week said just that.

What does this mean? Are generations starting with those in their early twenties completely dependent on dead, over-processed and chemically-rich foods that our bodies are responding with increasing bad cholesterol levels?

Or, are more medications being prescribed to treat cholesterol than are needed? Hard to say, but higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure and related problems were referenced in the report in the younger generation of U.S. citizens. That right there tells me nutrition and exercise are, well, on opposite sides of the daily spectrum for many. As in, bad nutrition and inadequate exercise. Do you agree?

I'm not sure if most drug consumers weigh the risks against the benefits of certain pharmaceutical drugs that may be in that medicine cabinet. If not, are you putting yourself at risk? In many cases, you just may be.

With Vioxx, Celebrex, Naproxen (and on and on) either pulled off the pharmacist's shelf (and replaced, like with Vioxx) or with the stern warnings that some drugs now come with, the solution to pain hopefully doesn't just rest with a single synthetic drug.

Even if it does, the new drug Arcoxia (meant to replace Vioxx) should not be approved according to a panel of federal health advisers who overwhelmingly recommended this Thursday (which I posted on here). Why? Because Arcoxia may increase substantially the risk of stroke and heart attack and is no more effective for pain relief than other medicines in the same class (according to an FDA expert).

Is it me or has the pharmaceutical pain relief industry gone amok? What is the solution here?

Sounds like a food, but none I've ever eaten. Could be an ingredient for making gluten-free bread, I suppose. Maybe it's a variety of nutritional yeast?

None of the above -- It is actually a natural remedy, being touted as possibly better than statin drugs for controlling high cholesterol.

Red yeast rice actually works in much the same way as a statin drug: it inhibits cholesterol production in the body. Few studies have been done, but nonetheless, they have shown that red yeast rice significantly reduces LDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol.

But are there possible side effects from taking red yeast rice? Yes, and they are similar, but not as many or as severe as some of the side effects of statin drugs, ranging from bloating and gas to muscle pain.

Some experts still say that red yeast rice should be avoided, even though it may be a natural alternative to statin drugs, because supplements aren't regulated. There would not be a sure way for you to know exactly what you are getting, say some experts.

But is it worth trying to avoid the dreaded statin drug? Is the battle to lower cholesterol fought in vain anyway? Some say that cholesterol is not the true cause of heart disease and that lowering cholesterol through drugs is far from the answer, and actually contributes to more heart disease in the long run.

It is a controversial and complicated question. What would you do if you were told by your doctor that your cholesterol needed to be lowered to reduce your risk of heart disease? Would you use a drug daily? Would you try red yeast rice? Would you try some other means of lowering your cholesterol, like restricting sugars from your diet? Chime in and leave a comment on this important issue.

Although newer pharmaceutical drugs have been hailed as killers by some and lifesavers by others, there is no doubt many of these come with undesirable side effects. With cholesterol on the minds of many these days, drugs to keep that under control are being prescribed in rising numbers.

But one won't make it to the public at all, as clinical trial results for a new Canadian cholesterol management product showed that its use had "no statistically significant" effect. Ouch.

Possible variables remain on the trial's results, as the study of the drug CRD5 was done over the Christmas season. During that time, heavier than normal alcohol amounts were consumed -- possibly affecting results, according to Liponex, the drug's manufacturer.

Are you a "low-carber"? That is the term I've created for those that have had good luck starting and remaining a fan of low-card diets. Examples like the Atkin's Diet and the South Beach Diet are recognized as very successful low-carbohydrate diets, and millions of people have lost weight using those two methods.

But, are there "side effects" to these low-carb diets? There are bound to be opinions on each side of the fence here -- and this entry concerns a lady whose cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol" went up as she became accustomed to modified South Beach Diet.

Are there things to watch out for on most diets? Well sure -- as any diet needs to be balanced if possible. The best diets are the "common sense" ones -- eating less fat, more whole grains, less refined carbs, less sugar, more protein, etc. That is a basic methodology for most folks, although not for everyone.