Recently I told you about the American Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) consumer update on the risks associated with cholesterol-lowering statins.

If you ask me, they could have gone with "FDA Warns Consumers About Statin Risks," or "FDA Finally Comes Clean about Significant Statin Risks"... but no, all these hypocrites want to do is to "expand" their advice", because in their view there is still no major cause for concern.

The FDA's recent Consumer Update poses this question: "What should patients do if they fear that statin use could be clouding their thinking?"

And here's the answer from an FDA safety official: "Don't stop taking the medication; the consequences to your heart could be far greater."

Cloudy thinking

Excuse me for being candid, but perhaps that particular FDA official is not taking statins, or he or she has not paid any attention to the mounting evidence that shows a strong link between statins and memory loss.

For instance, a 2009 study found that among 171 patients who complained about statin-related brain symptoms, 90 per cent of those who stopped taking statins experienced an improvement in their symptoms. Sometimes, improvement was seen within days of stopping the treatment. The average time it took for improvement to be seen was about 2 and a half weeks. The fact that symptoms improved after stopping statins strongly suggests that statins were directly responsible for the problems experienced.

See, FDA officials are well aware that we're talking about more than just a few passing clouds here. It's more likely to be "total global amnesia"!

On our dedicated blog, The Cholesterol Truth, we've told you about Dr. Duane Graveline — a former NASA astronaut. Soon after starting on Lipitor, Dr. Graveline experienced two bouts of total global amnesia (TGA, a state in which memory is completely wiped out for several minutes to several hours).

When Dr. Graveline launched his own investigation of statin-related TGA, he found hundreds of people who shared their experiences of memory loss while taking statins.

According to Dr. Graveline, TGA is only the tip of the iceberg of the many other forms of statin-associated memory lapses reported from distraught people. Far more common are symptoms of disorientation, confusion and unusual forgetfulness. These lesser forms of memory impairment can be easily missed in many individuals.

Ten years later, in a very half-hearted attempt the FDA tried to come clean in their Consumer Update by saying that memory loss, forgetfulness, and confusion "span all statin products and all age groups." And, of course, the agency refers to these cases as "rare," but let's face it, if they were truly rare, the agency wouldn't be addressing this issue at all.

FDA officials recently announced that additional safety warnings will be added to statin drug labels. One of these warnings includes an increased risk of high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes among statin users.

Will we see Alzheimer's disease and dementia, myopathy and liver failure added to those warning labels in the near future? Perhaps in another ten years' time? Let's not hold our breaths...

In the meantime, if you want to know how to improve your heart health without taking side effect-ridden statin drugs, visit The Cholesterol Truth.

More cutting-edge health news below...

If you're reading this on a laptop that happens to be in your lap, I predict that your laptop placement is about to change within the next two minutes...

When Italian researchers measured electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions from five brands of laptops, they agreed on this suggestion: Don't call laptops "laptops."

Their concern is that the term "laptop" will "induce customers towards an improper use." Or, put another way: Your lap is one of the worst places to put your laptop.

Two reasons...

1) When a laptop is used in the lap of a pregnant woman, the power supply produces strong electric current densities in both the foetus and mother. These densities are higher than recommended, whether you're pregnant or not.

2) For men, laptop use in the lap reduces sperm motility and DNA in the sperm may be compromised as well.

The Italian team doesn't offer any suggestions for a new name for laptops, although throughout their published study they refer to them as LTCs.

Hmmm... LTC. Not very catchy.

"Notebook" isn't bad, but that term is already used by manufacturers of smaller, lightweight laptops. "Foldy computer" is ridiculous, obviously.

Wait — I've got it: "Lap-burner."

If that doesn't get the laptop off your lap, nothing will.

Until next week

Sources:

"Popular Cholesterol Drugs Get New Warnings About Memory, Blood Sugar" Scott Hensley, NPR, 2/28/12, npr.org

"FDA Expands Advice on Statin Risks" FDA Consumer Update, fda.gov

"Do Statins Dull the Minds of Some Patients?" Jacob Goldstein, Wall St. Journal, 2/12/08, blogs.wsj.com

"Exposure to electromagnetic fields from laptop use of 'laptop' computers" Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, Vol. 67, No. 1, January 2012, tandf.co.uk