Lipitor Ads Spark Congressional Probe

A message board to discuss personal experiences of Lipitor and its effects.

Lipitor Ads Spark Congressional Probe

Postby telxpert » Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:28 pm

Lipitor has been running a series of ads in which a kindly "doctor," Robert Jarvik, inventor of the artificial heart, tells viewers about the benefits of the cholesterol-lowering medication Lipitor. These ads, and their use of celebrity endorsers such as Jarvik, are now being investigated by Congress for potentially misleading viewers.

In the ads, Dr. Jarvik appears to be giving medical advice, but he has never obtained a license to practice or prescribe medicine.

Critics of the drug industry claim that such ads emotionally manipulate viewers and underemphasize the potential side effects of drugs.

The congressional probe focuses on the Lipitor ads, but will likely examine others, such as actress Sally Field‘s endorsement of the osteoporosis drug Boniva.



Some 30 years ago, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) was an affliction of middle-aged men with cholesterol over 300 plus other risk factors, such as smoking and obesity. Since then, the massive fear about this non-disease has been created largely by the drug companies.

They have done this while simultaneously manipulating the definition of high cholesterol by controlling the government panels that are responsible for the definitions. This combination has led to absolutely spectacular profits of tens of billions of dollars, as their reward for their effective market manipulation.

By 1984 anyone (male or female) with cholesterol over 200 could receive the dreaded diagnosis and a prescription for pills. Then it was moved down to 180. Today, we’re down to recommended levels of less than 100 and drugs are prescribed to children as young as 10 years old.

This is Absolutely Insane!

I am always amazed by what these companies are able to get away with, but then again, perhaps it's not too surprising when you consider the costly involvement -- both in terms of lives and dollars -- of the U.S. in the Gulf War, which is forcing us into an inflationary recession.

Kind of makes the drug company manipulation resulting in tens of billions of dollars of profit, at the expense of hundreds of thousands of lives by not addressing the real causes, seem relatively insignificant in light of the bigger picture.

To top off the insanity, if you’ve had a heart attack, you get to take cholesterol-lowering medicines even if your cholesterol is already very low -- after all, if you had a heart attack your cholesterol must be “too highâ€Â
telxpert
 
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:17 pm

Postby cjbrooksjc » Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:43 pm

telexpert: Is this the post you were worried about?
cjbrooksjc
 
Posts: 1188
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:28 am
Location: Texas

Simply announce

Postby telxpert » Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:31 am

Simply announce, comprehend, and be part of the cause to help each other who have suffered for years
telxpert
 
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:17 pm

Postby Cat Mom2 » Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:45 pm

GREAT post!!
Cat Mom2
 
Posts: 250
Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2006 4:18 pm


Return to Lipitor (atorvastatin)

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests

cron