| Doctors have been encouraged to prescribe the | | | | side effects. These claims are based on trials of |
| cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins quite | | | | the drug on a carefully screened group of people, |
| liberally. Patients who suffer heart attacks often | | | | hardly a representative selection of the general |
| have elevated levels of cholesterol, so statins like | | | | public. Considering the rigorous selection process |
| Lipitor are prescribed to lower the cholesterol. | | | | for drug trials, it is hardly a surprise that 51% of |
| There have been no conclusive studies to prove | | | | prescription drugs found to have serious adverse |
| the full effectiveness of these drugs, however, | | | | side effects not detected prior to FDA |
| and some doctors worry that reducing cholesterol | | | | approval.As many as 98% of people using Lipitor |
| simply takes away the warning signs of heart | | | | or similar statin drugs experience muscle |
| disease. The drug companies also claim that statin | | | | weakness. This is because the statins break down |
| drugs have a low, nearly nonexistent incidence of | | | | muscle tissue. |