In the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT), the effect of LIPITOR on fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease was assessed in 10,305 hypertensive patients 40–80 years of age (mean of 63 years), without a previous myocardial infarction and with TC levels ≤251 mg/dL (6.5 mmol/L). Additionally, all patients had at least 3 of the following cardiovascular risk factors: male gender (81.1%), age >55 years (84.5%), smoking (33.2%), diabetes (24.3%), history of CHD in a first-degree relative (26%), TC:HDL >6 (14.3%), peripheral vascular disease (5.1%), left ventricular hypertrophy (14.4%), prior cerebrovascular event (9.8%), specific ECG abnormality (14.3%), proteinuria/albuminuria (62.4%).
In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients were treated with anti-hypertensive therapy (Goal BP <140/90 mm Hg for non-diabetic patients; <130/80 mm Hg for diabetic patients) and allocated to either LIPITOR 10 mg daily (n=5168) or placebo (n=5137), using a covariate adaptive method which took into account the distribution of nine baseline characteristics of patients already enrolled and minimized the imbalance of those characteristics across the groups. Patients were followed for a median duration of 3.3 years.
LIPITOR significantly reduced the rate of coronary events [either fatal coronary heart disease (46 events in the placebo group vs. 40 events in the LIPITOR group) or non-fatal MI (108 events in the placebo group vs. 60 events in the LIPITOR group)] with a relative risk reduction of 36% [(based on incidences of 1.9% for LIPITOR vs. 3.0% for placebo), p=0.0005 (see Figure 1)].
WAIT........you took a supposed high risk group of people which you assume would have a high incidence of coronary heart disease and in the group of people who got a PLACEBO, there were 46 PEOPLE who had a coronory event? 46 out of 5,168 or .008%!!!
So if I did simply research where I collected 5,168 men who were older and had some health issues such as diabetes, smoking, family history of CHF and raised cholesterol and .008% of them had a coronary heart disease event, that indicates significance and that billions of dollars should be spent on a medication with bad side effects without $1 spent on diet and lifestyle changes?
How many of the 46 had a CHD event because of their weight, diet and lifestyle? Was never accounted for. 40 in the Lipitor group by the way....any way to know if the 6 person difference is solely atributable to cholesterol lowering without taking into account whether they were smoking, overweight or had a family history?
This study is shit.
In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients were treated with anti-hypertensive therapy (Goal BP <140/90 mm Hg for non-diabetic patients; <130/80 mm Hg for diabetic patients) and allocated to either LIPITOR 10 mg daily (n=5168) or placebo (n=5137), using a covariate adaptive method which took into account the distribution of nine baseline characteristics of patients already enrolled and minimized the imbalance of those characteristics across the groups. Patients were followed for a median duration of 3.3 years.
LIPITOR significantly reduced the rate of coronary events [either fatal coronary heart disease (46 events in the placebo group vs. 40 events in the LIPITOR group) or non-fatal MI (108 events in the placebo group vs. 60 events in the LIPITOR group)] with a relative risk reduction of 36% [(based on incidences of 1.9% for LIPITOR vs. 3.0% for placebo), p=0.0005 (see Figure 1)].
WAIT........you took a supposed high risk group of people which you assume would have a high incidence of coronary heart disease and in the group of people who got a PLACEBO, there were 46 PEOPLE who had a coronory event? 46 out of 5,168 or .008%!!!
So if I did simply research where I collected 5,168 men who were older and had some health issues such as diabetes, smoking, family history of CHF and raised cholesterol and .008% of them had a coronary heart disease event, that indicates significance and that billions of dollars should be spent on a medication with bad side effects without $1 spent on diet and lifestyle changes?
How many of the 46 had a CHD event because of their weight, diet and lifestyle? Was never accounted for. 40 in the Lipitor group by the way....any way to know if the 6 person difference is solely atributable to cholesterol lowering without taking into account whether they were smoking, overweight or had a family history?
This study is shit.
