Ditch the statins and EAT your way back to good heart health, experts controversially claim
- Dr Aseem Malhotra and Professor Dame Sue Bailey are behind the move
- They demanded GPs to be confronted about their willingness to dish out drugs
- The experts warned that ‘good health rarely comes out of a medicine bottle’
- Dr Malhota and Dame Sue claimed the move would save millions of lives
Millions of Britons should ditch their medication and instead eat their way back to good heart health, experts have controversially claimed.
Cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra and Professor Dame Sue Bailey, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, are behind the move.
They demanded scores of GPs should be confronted about their willingness to dish out drugs, such as statins – and called for the public to ignore official nutritional advice.
The pair warned ‘good health rarely comes out of a medicine bottle’ as they called for Britons to drastically change their diets to include less potatoes, rice and bread.
Dr Malhota and Dame Sue even claimed the move would end the country’s reliance on pills, save millions of lives from heart disease and diabetes and the cash-strapped NHS billions of pounds.
Cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra and Professor Dame Sue Bailey, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, are behind the move to get patients to ditch drugs, such as statins
Dr Malhotra used the example of former pilot Tony Royle who ditched his pills and ignored official dietary advice to lose 3st (42lbs) in five months.
Writing in the Pharmaceutical Journal, he said: ‘Here was a man who suffered a heart attack after following what we now know to be unscientific government dietary advice.
‘But [he] made an informed decision to dramatically change his diet and stop the cocktail of drugs he was prescribed after suffering debilitating side-effects.
‘Now his health has never been better. We have to keep reminding ourselves that good health rarely comes out of a medicine bottle.’
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Question medical knowledge
Dr Malhotra and Dame Sue are both part of Choosing Wisely, a global initiative that is aimed at helping patients question medical knowledge.
Using heart disease as an example, they argued how for decades doctors used to be adamant it was caused by eating too much saturated fat, the Daily Express reports.
However, trials have shown in recent years there are many other factors that lead to the world’s biggest killer, including insulin resistance.
And, in a further attack on drugs, they warned that there is little evidence to suggest a patient will die of a heart attack from not taking cholesterol-busting statins.
Writing in the journal, Dame Sue said: ‘Doctors don’t always know best and shared decision-making should be given top priority in patient management.’
ARE WE A NATION OF PILL POPPERS?
A record number of prescriptions were dished out by the NHS last year, official figures revealed in March.
More than 1.1 billion drugs were dispensed by pharmacists across England in 2017 – the most since charts began 10 years ago.
Statins were the most common prescription across England – with more than 72.6 million prescribed. There were also 71.5 million prescriptions for high blood pressure and heart failure drugs.
Campaigners blasted the statistics, which also provided a full breakdown of the £9.1 billion the NHS spent on prescriptions last year.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said money was being ‘wasted’ on items available much cheaper in the supermarket.
The figures showed health chiefs spent around £80 million on aspirin and paracetamol, which can be bought for pennies at supermarkets.
Statins: The facts
Up to six million adults in Britain currently take statins to lower their cholesterol levels and thereby reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
But many doctors and patients are worried about their long-term harms and they have been linked to diabetes, muscular pain and memory loss.
Supporters on the other hand, including the health watchdog Nice, say the pills should be prescribed more widely to prevent thousands of early deaths.
An array of evidence has already shown statins to be very effective at preventing heart attacks and strokes in patients who have already had one.
Official dietary advice
Public Health England recommend adults get 35 per cent of their energy intake from fat and 50 per cent from carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and sugar.
It also says no more than 11 per cent should come from saturated fat, which is found in cheese, butter and cream.
Dr Malhotra, who for years has fought against the advice that fat should be cut, argued this decision is responsible for the obesity crisis.
He is an advocate of the fat-packed Mediterranean diet, which is credited for helping people to lose weight and protect against heart disease.
Pill poppers
The comments come after official figures revealed in March that a record number of prescriptions were dished out by the NHS last year.
More than 1.1 billion drugs were dispensed by pharmacists across England in 2017 – the most since charts began 10 years ago.
Statins were the most common prescription across England – with more than 72.6 million prescribed, in total.
Experts believe the rise is being fuelled by the pharmaceutical industry, which is exaggerating the benefits of certain drugs.
But it is also due to the ageing population and the fact that many more patients are developing lifestyle-related illnesses.
WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT FOR GOOD HEART HEALTH?
Public Health England recommend adults get 35 per cent of their energy intake from fat and 50 per cent from carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and sugar.
It also says no more than 11 per cent should come from saturated fat, which is found in cheese, butter and cream.
Dr Malhotra, who for years has fought against the advice that fat should be cut, argued this decision is responsible for the obesity crisis.
He is an advocate of the fat-packed Mediterranean diet, which is credited for helping people to lose weight and protect against heart disease.
Consuming more fruit and fish, and fewer sugary drinks and snacks, are the most important aspects of a Mediterranean diet.
EAT MORE:
Fruits and vegetables
Legumes, nuts and seeds
Whole grains
Oily fish and meat
Monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil
EAT LESS:
Saturated fats, such as butter
Red meat
Processed foods
Soda
Sugar
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