Re: FDA approves Pfizer nerve pain drug ~ Lyrica

From: Don Kirkman (donkirk_at_covad.net)
Date: 01/04/05 

Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 11:47:23 -0800

It seems to me I heard somewhere that Sharon Hope wrote in article
<qinCd.745407$mD.158002@attbi_s02>:

>You are ignorant of the facts in this case.

>Dr. Golomb does not practice at the university. Her practice is at the VA
>Medical Center.

>A renaissance woman, she is the NIH Principal Investigator for the NIH
>Statin Study (which accepts no drug company funding), and concurrently she
>is teaching at two universities, and a RAND researcher. She is also the US
>DOD's expert on Gulf War Syndrome.
>
>Her credentials are readily accessible (CV below). What are your
>credentials?

My only point had nothing to do with credentials. I may have been in
error about the location of her principal practice, though she is an
Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California-San
Diego.

To restate my point, it is not at all clear what Dr. Golomb's 15% figure
is measuring. I didn't find it in reports of her publications or
presentations I found in Google, and the only clear statement of that
figure is "Dr. Golomb has found that 15 percent of statin patients
develop some cognitive side effects.{22}" contained in a web page I
believe you are familiar with, since it discusses your husband's case:
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/24/statin_drugs.htm.

Reference 22 says in its entirety "22. Email communication, Beatrice
Golomb, July 10, 2003."

Perhaps you have a documented source for that figure?

As we were discussing almost a year ago:

"'Although the patient data in the NIH study is still secret, Dr. Golomb
says that among other patients she has seen, about 15% have developed
some cognitive problem related to statin use. Even so, notes Dr. Golomb,
'there are still people who are persuaded ... that there are no
cognitive effects from statins.'

"Note that the 15% is not from the NIH study but is Dr. Golomb's
estimate from her own practice. Also note that 15% could be three
patients out of twenty, and that Dr. Golomb's clientele may not be
typical, since she is associated with a university." 

-- 
Don
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed
us with senses, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their
use.                                --Galileo Galilei

Relevant Pages

  • Canadian adverse event reporting: FORMS & WEBSITES
    ... patients, in consultation with their physician, to determine if the ... People who experience adverse reactions to prescription medicine are ... The group plans to teach people how to report an ADR, ... > Statin Adverse Effects FAQ: ...
    (sci.med)
  • NEW: Statins "MAY" help reduce subsequent cardio events A to Z trial
    ... Coronary Patients ... Higher Dose Regimen May Increase Risk for Muscle Problems ... with statin drugs has been shown to reduce the risk for death, ... of simvastatin for 30 days and then 80 mg/d of simvastatin thereafter) ...
    (sci.med.cardiology)
  • Statin Side Effect Test: Worth the Price?
    ... The tens of millions of Americans who take statin drugs to control their cholesterol levels are also taking a calculated risk -- the small chance that they might experience muscle weakness, the most common side effect of the drugs. ... Now, British researchers say a screening test that could predict which patients will suffer these side effects may one day be a reality, thanks to their discovery of a gene linked to their occurrence. ... Dr. Eric Topol, the chief academic officer of Scripps Health, calls the study a "fantastic jump forward" and says that it is the first to provide strong evidence of a gene that can show potential side effects that will result from a drug. ...
    (soc.senior.issues)
  • Re: Gall Bladder Removal: Downsides?
    ... How to Treat Patients with Hypercholesterolemia Who Can't Take Statin ... Many of these patients have biopsy proven myopathy. ... At one extreme are patients whose statin therapy was based on elevated ...
    (sci.med)
  • Re: Statins do NOT protect against Azlheimers
    ... >> It seems to me I heard somewhere that Sharon Hope wrote in article ... >statin side effects. ... >different than what is reported in the trials," Golomb said. ... >Division of General Internal Medicine ...
    (sci.med.cardiology)