Statins have gone through several prescribing guideline revisions in the last 10-20 years. Many people were incorrectly prescribed them and some have suffered for it.
Likewise, there can be serious complications when taking GLP-1 agonists and the like. Since they need to be taken in perpetuity (many gain all weight lost upon stopping use) they should be reserved for only people who have exhausted all other opportunities.
Most people over 65 should not be on statins. Most people should not be taking GPL-1 agonists.
Pretty much no one should be taking statins. The side effects are well studied, while the benefits are dubious at best.
For example: high cholesterol levels is actually positively correlated with longevity, believe it or not. If you consume a diet low in sugars, thus routinely burning fat when fasted, you will have "high" cholesterol in blood. How do you think fats are moved to cells in need? Through the blood, of course.
I'd go so far as to say that statins are pretty much a scam, that fixes a useless and quite complex metric such as cholesterol levels. Given that cholesterol levels are a diagnostic easily accessible to GPs, they prescribe statins to see this figure go lower, even if it doesn't make the person any healthier. Incidentally it's similar to taking GLP-1 agonists instead of learning to have a healthier relationship with food.
I’m just back from the US and watching some TV there in the hotel it seems very much like they’re pushing it into the mainstream, they literally have a commercial where “fat” people congregate in the street to march together picking up Ozempic… So I totally assume it will be widespread in a few years unless they discover some serious side effects.
Meh, you see commercials for all kinds of medicines in the US. There's more being produced than your average general practitioner can keep up with, so the manufacturers appeal directly to consumers.
Given how ineffective it is once you stop, I'm personally expecting it to become a relatively short lived fad. Insurance companies won't cover it if it truly doesn't improve health outcomes long term (throwing money down the toilet) and people will learn to not pay out of pocket for it.
There's a reason insurance companies are loath to cover it for obesity now without prior authorization, which usually requires you seeing a specialist who has ruled out the usual suspects (nutrition and exercise changes).
Likewise, there can be serious complications when taking GLP-1 agonists and the like. Since they need to be taken in perpetuity (many gain all weight lost upon stopping use) they should be reserved for only people who have exhausted all other opportunities.
Most people over 65 should not be on statins. Most people should not be taking GPL-1 agonists.