Big Pharma tries to push statins as asthma cure Oh those wonderful, amazing statins! Is there anything they can't do? The answer, it seems, is "no." This almighty drug is already the most prescribed drug on the entire planet, and its many derivatives raked in countless billions for Big Pharma every year. And here's yet another use (excuse?) for pumping statins into even more people: a new study now says that it can help keep asthma under control. According to a new study presented at the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology meeting in Washington, adults on a regimen of standard asthma medication supplemented by a statin drug needed to make fewer asthma-related hospital visits - as many as one third fewer. Why? Well … they don't know. But I'm sure supporters of statins will rush to call this discovery yet another notch in the belt of this "wonder drug," along with studies that say statins can help stop the development of Alzheimer's disease, blood clots, and even pneumonia. Of course, I should mention that the study was conducted by Medco, Inc., a pharmacy benefit manager that says it's their "calling" to lower the cost of healthcare. They're claiming that taking more statins will lower the cost of health care by keeping asthma patients out of the hospital. Talk about a stretch. I suppose they're conveniently overlooking the high price of statin drugs - and the high cost to your health. Here's just a partial listing of the potential side effects: - Muscle pain
- Liver disease
- Digestive trouble
- Kidney failure
- Rhabdomyolysis (the breakdown of muscle fibers that can result in death)
- Neuropathy (numbness, tingling, burning pain)
- Memory loss
Just imagine the additional price tag that comes with of any one of these side effects. The doctor's visits, the additional drugs, the diminished quality of life. Trust me, you'll breathe easier in the end if you stick with your inhaler, and skip the statins. Have you heard the latest pronouncement by our pronouncement-happy new president? The Obama administration is now working to form a new bureaucracy called the "Food Safety Working Group" which will ostensibly "upgrade our food safety laws for the 21st century." I know what you're thinking: if our food safety laws aren't up to 21st century standards, what has the FDA been doing for the last 10 years? My heart applauds this as an indictment of the rampant inefficiencies of the FDA, but my head reminds me that Obama is not proposing to update the FDA. He's just intent on creating more rules and laws. And as we've seen, the FDA hasn't done a very good job enforcing the rules they have. What's more, there's talk that this new "working group" may be more than just a temporary task force charged with overhauling the FDA. It's rumored that the group could blossom into an entirely new government food agency that functions separately from the FDA. Oh good. Another bloated bureaucracy. Just what the country needs. "There are certain things only a government can do," Obama said - a bit of a stretch, since it's clear that Obama believes that government can and should do nearly everything. "And one of those things is ensuring that the foods we eat, and the medicines we take, are safe and do not cause us harm." The announcement was part of Obama's appointment of Margaret A. Hamburg, a former New York City health chief as the new commissioner of the FDA. The president also said that he'll be asking Congress to authorize $1 billion (Obama only speaks in billions, it seems) to update labs and hire new inspectors. But while the president and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye on many things, I think it is indeed time for an overhaul at FDA. | 
