Many patients are fearful of taking prescription drugs.
And who can blame them? Drug advertisements prominently communicate a litany of side effects, and news reports routinely proclaim black box warnings and newly discovered complications.
Within this fog of negativity, patients have to realize the benefits of many medications, and this is what the WSJ points out (via the WSJ Health Blog).
Statins are the most obvious example. There is good data supporting its use, especially in secondary prevention of cardiac events. However, many patients are wary about the side effects and stop taking them, perhaps not realizing that in some cases “the health consequences associated with stopping a medication, particularly for a chronic condition, may be far worse than the possibility of a side effect.”
Physicians are the ones who can properly weigh the risks and benefits of medications for individual patients. News reports, television, and drug advertisements have no ability to do so.
Related posts:
- Sued for side effects
- Side effects of life
- Alli: Using side effects to your advantage
- Data-mining for drug risks
- Drug companies responsible for generic side effects?
- Genetic testing and side effects
- Soft sell
{ 4 comments }
My statin-damaged leg muscles do not agree that my physician properly weighed the risks.
anon, you obviously don’t understand the concept of risk-benefit analysis.
There is risk to ANYTHING. Even tylenol. Even crossing the street.
The isolated episode of myopathy from a statin does not mean that they do not confer some benefit in cardiovascular risk reduction. And your episode doesn’t mean your physician didn’t consider this.
Does getting hit by a car while crossing the street mean you shouldn’t ever cross the street? The only difference between the two scenarios is that in the first (statin-induced myopathy) you feel you can blame your doctor.
Sometimes these warnings attract patients: “Call your doctor if you have an erection that lasts more than 4 hours”.(Viagra, cialis, levitra).
I think statins are overprescribed and the risks underestimated. Given the pervasive control of research by drug companies, we do not know the true extent of the side effects of any drug until after it is off patent–and the industry has an alternative to promote.
They still deny cognitive and mood effects of statins and yet they nearly destroyed my life. I didn’t believe that was the cause and went back on twice thinking it was coincidental but the effects were clear. Their is evidence of this in the data but they deny it and ignore. Statistics can show (or obscure) anything if you play with them enough.
The NNT for some of the promoted uses is ridiculously high
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