I rate this highly on two main counts. First of all it is very readable but second it doesn't duck the science. In particular it exposes the faulty causal hypotheses which underlie the conventional view of heart disease and the (presumed) effectiveness of statins. In other words, it doesn't just quote one set of RCTs of drugs against another: it sets out the causal mechanisms underlying the current conventional wisdom- and what the alternatives are which the author thinks more likely to be correct ( ie supported by evidence)


After reading it one is left wondering how medicine, supposedly an evidence based enterprise, manages to ignore the evidence presented here. But it does and the statin bill continues to rise....

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Product Description

Statins are widely prescribed to lower blood cholesterol levels and claim to offer unparalleled protection against heart disease. Believed to be completely safe and capable of preventing a whole series of other conditions, they are the most profitable drug in the history of medicine. In this groundbreaking book, GP Malcolm Kendrick exposes the truth behind the hype. He will change the way we think about cholesterol forever. Rubbishing the diet-heart hypothesis, in which clinical trials 'prove' that high cholesterol causes heart disease and a high-fat diet leads to heart disease, Kendrick lambastes a powerful pharmaceutical industry and unquestioning medical profession, who, he claims, perpetuate the madcap concepts of 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol and cholesterol levels to convince millions of people to unnecessarily spend billions of pounds on statins. Clearly and comprehensively debunking assumptions on what constitute a healthy lifestyle and diet, "The Great Cholesterol Con" is the accessible, indispensable and absorbing case against statins and for a more common-sense approach to heart disease and general wellbeing. No more over-hyped miracle drugs; no more garlic, red wine, anti-oxidants, fruit or vegetables; even a vegetarian diet is rejected in this controversial yet authoritative critique of how we have been mislead over how food and drugs affect our coronary health. Here, for the first time, is the invaluable guide for anyone who though there was a miracle cure for heart disease, "The Great Cholesterol Con" is a fascinating breakthrough that will set dynamite under the whole area.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #288071 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 284 pages

Review
"["The Great Cholesterol Con"] will save you a lot of heartache--LITERALLY!" --Examiner.com

About the Author
Dr Kendrick is a GP in Macclesfield. He writes for Pulse magazine in the UK, and redflagsweekly, an on-line health magazine based in Canada. He has written technical papers on insulin resistance, and multiple sclerosis. He developed the educational website for the European Society of Cardiology.