Interesting piece in the BMJ which puts any benefits of statins into
context. Less than 4% of patients have a cardiovascular event
prevented over the course of 4.2 years of treatment. Less than 1%
benefit per annum!
Is this one for Daniel Sokol's column?
J
At 20:40 20/12/2011, you wrote:
>I think that statins at least in theory could be beneficial in multi
>infarct dementia. When people get as far as the Liverpool Care pathway
>then all drugs are stopped.
>I think that the ethics of this has not been exhaustively considered. I
>look after an EMI nursing ward and think that there is definitely a
>stage when dementia becomes so severe that the person needs 24 hour a
>day supervision and diagnosis of immediately impending death, which has
>not been considered adequately and I am researching it and learning
>through practice, as well as attending courses and reading around it.
> It is finding out about this which reminds me why I am so lucky to be
>doing this job, as even in my mid 50's I have found something new and
>fascinating to learn more about. It is an antidote to the boring tick
>box developments in the job.
>Karen
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