Statin and Alzheimer’s…ummm, maybe not – More news from that big neurology meeting : Lipitor doesn’t help slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients, researchers said this week. That’s something of a disappointment, given that it was a big, randomized study, and earlier data had showed promise. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s patients who took Lipitor at least didn’t seem to do any worse than those who took a placebo…more
Zimmer to launch new ethical marketing practices endeavor – In what may be an effort to head off legislation, Zimmer announced new rules covering its relationships with docs, specifically, payments for consulting, gift giving and medical education funding…more
More on the proposed Massachusetts gift ban – the state Senate unanimously approved a first-in-the-nation law banning all gifts to doctors from pharmaceutical companies, but lawmakers removed a controversial provision that would have criminalized the practice…more. And, in a similar vein – Drug and device makers shouldn’t be allowed to offer freebies – including meals, gifts, travel and ghost-writing helps – to docs, staffers and students in any or all 129 of the nation’s medical colleges, according to a new report from the Association of American Medical Colleges, which spent two years on the project.
News we can all applaud – more chocolate, better health! – Munch on dark chocolate on your way to lower cholesterol…more. PLUS – UK study enrolling folks for a year’s worth of “chocolate therapy” to measure diabetes impact! Woo-hoo!
Glaxo jumps on red wine therapy – well, OK, sort of - Like many aging pharmaceutical companies, GlaxoSmithKline has been looking for rejuvenation. Now it thinks it might have literally found the elixir of youth. Glaxo, a British drug maker, said Tuesday it would acquire an American biotechnology company that is pursuing the notion that a compound found in red wine might retard aging and let people live longer…more
There’s a physician who was also an astronaut who suffered from global amnesia when taking Lipitor. He didn’t recognize his wife after taking a walk.
She coaxed him into the house with milk and cookies!
He also did not remember that he attended medical school.
I have more about the dangers of statins on my blog.