0 Comments
Statins are drugs that are prescribed by physicians to lower or control cholesterol. They are powerful drugs and when needed can be life saving. But like any effective drug, they can have life threatening side effects. It has been known for some time that statins may cause muscle wasting and death. Liver damage is rare, but is a recognized side effect. Some users report cognitive imparment. A study completed in 2013 linked statin use to type 2 diabetes. It reported that in the study statins raised the risk of type 2 diabetes by 22%. A more recent study conducted in Finland looked at 8749 nondiabetic men and followed them for 5.9 years. When they examined them again they found that 625 had developed type 2 diabetes. This translates to a 46% increase in risk when taking statins. Statins are big business. They have become the drug of choice for dealing with high cholesterol levels. By 2012 in the US 214 million monthly prescriptions were being written. As cheaper generic versions became available, physicians were even more ready to prescribe the drugs. In that year the world revenue for this group was $29 billion. If you are taking statins and are experiencing uncomfortable side effects, you need to discuss your health with your physician. It is a bad idea to simply stop taking the medication. However it is important to assess your risk of life threatening side effects. Diabetes, whether it is from a lack of ability to produce insulin(type 1) or an inability to properly utilize insulin(type 2) can be life changing. The recent Finnish study published in the journal Diabetologia noted that those on statins who developed diabetes produced less than normal amounts of the hormone as well as a reduced ability to use it to regulate blood sugar. Sources: Medical News Today FDA Forbes NHS Cyclonic conditions have hit Australia, killing three people. Rainfall in excess of 300 millimetres fell in less than 24 hours in a town north of Sydney. This amounts to approximately six times the normal yearly precipitation. Homes were lifted off their foundations and washed away by flood waters in the town of Dungong. Electricity to over 200 000 customers in the state was disrupted and evacuation alerts were issued. Winds of 100km have stripped tonnes of sand off famous Bondai Beach. Sydney has been hard hit as well. A deep low pressure system is stalled to the east of the coast and has been battering the city for the past three days. Another big storm is poised to hit the area from the north in the next few hours. Ferry service in the Sydney area has been cancelled due to the high winds and rough seas. A rogue wave of 11metres(36 feet) was reported. The cruise ship Carnival Spirit carrying 2500 passengers was unable to enter Sydney Harbour due to the dangerous conditions. They are hoping for a chance to disembark their people on Wednesday morning. Sydney Harbour Master Captain Philip Holliday stated that this was the first time that he had to close the harbour due to weather. Small increases in global temperatures can translate into extreme weather events. NOAA has released its measurements of global temperatures for March. It has been the hottest March since 1880. It is expected that droughts will be longer and more severe. Wind speeds will increase. When rain falls, it will deliver more water that what is usual now. As the world continues to warm, some agricultural land may be abandoned, people may be forced from their homes to become migrants, tropical disease vectors may also spread into new areas. As often happens in making predictions, many of the changes are as yet unknown. Sources: ABC News RT News BBC News
|
Barbara McPherson
Blogger, gardener, farmer. Working toward food security and a 30 foot
diet. Addicted to reading. Love this planet, especially my little corner
on Vancouver Island, Canada Archives
October 2016
Categories
All
|