'Lansley must listen to nurses on the front line' Want to go large with your statins, sir?
The future of public health intervention will be more of a holding exercise than a pre-emptive strike if the view of some researchers at Imperial College London becomes the norm.
Dr Darrel Francis and colleagues, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial, reckon that fast food restaurants should give out free statins so customers can neutralise the negative cardiovascular impact of scoffing burgers and fries.
Writing in the American Journal of Cardiology, Dr Francis said: “We’ve worked out that in terms of your likelihood of having a heart attack, taking a statin can reduce your risk to more or less the same degree as a fast food meal increases it.”
Beyond the Bedpan thinks this sounds a bit like taking poison and then an antidote, just for fun.
Anyway, can we expect to find simvastatin, or dare we say it “Mcstatin”, next to the ketchup in the condiments tray? Probably not, but one would hope the cafeteria at Imperial is a burger free zone already?
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Readers' comments (8)
mike | 13-Aug-2010 10:54 pm
As I said in another post, what an absolute load of crap!
But welcome to another extra large portion of the nannying state, it's not your fault you indulge in self destructive behaviour is it? It's your circumstances fault. Oh you feel a bit upset? Never mind theres a cocktail of addictions to choose from, don't worry because we'll always be there to pick up the pieces!
For crying out loud!
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Jacqueline Hickman | 14-Aug-2010 11:34 am
How unbelievably irresponsible!Why bother with health promotion at all? Just give them a dose of the antidote, then they can overindulge as much as they like and overdose on statins.
What does Dr Francis intend to do about the resultant obesity?- gastric stapling I presume.
Talk about taking the easy option!
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judith willis | 15-Aug-2010 3:00 am
Pill popping and gastro banding, hey ho.
I would have thought that somewhere as prestigious as Imperial, would come up with something better than that..
Hey ho hey ho and off to work we go.
Keeps us in a job luvvies....
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Anonymous | 16-Aug-2010 8:58 am
As derision is poured upon the idea of supporting people in an unhealthy lifestyle, we continue to accept that free condoms to schoolchildren and needle exchange schemes to drug abusers are ok.
I cannot really see a whole load of difference, the concept is exactly the same, and yes I'm no stranger to a quarter pounder with cheese but funnily enough despite being overweight, my cholesterol levels are fine.
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mike | 16-Aug-2010 5:19 pm
Free condoms is a different kettle of fish because sex is not exactly an unhealthy habit (for lack of a better word) if done right. Supporting drug abuse however I completely disagree with, and I agree with you that there seems to be a lot of disparity between these dichotomies.
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Nick Rolfe | 17-Aug-2010 6:58 pm
This one's for Steve Ford, the journalist of this piece.
If you'd read the article instead of just the press release you'd know the authors had already 'dared' to use the term MacStatin. Great research fella.
Hilarious all around.
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Steve Williams | 21-Aug-2010 4:02 pm
And I thought I was crazy... is this not akin to selling aspirin along with a pint at the pub?
Notice they say “sell” statins (although, to be fair, later on in the article they mention “free”) What average “Ronny McNarsty's” patron, who knocks back enough of their filthy produce to induce a heart attack, is going buy something that just “might” do them some good?
Harking back to another recent thread... Forget drinkers and smokers - fast-food fatties should be at the top of the list to be denied treatment by the NHS, no excuses! Hanging's too good for 'em... Just kidding BTW!
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Anonymous | 4-Sep-2010 3:59 pm
You must not discriminate in any way against those in your care that includes IVDU, alcoholics, obese, smokers
Name me one set of patients who have not abused themselves in some way??? IVDU, Alcohol, smoking, obesity....throwing themselves out of windows most patients have contributed to poor health in some way or another...and don't even get me started on health care workers!!!
Live and let live - and if people really can't tell the difference between a beefburger and cardboard - well their life isn't worth living anyway.;-)
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