Of particular concern to the authors is that this decline in statin use was seen in people at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
Article published on: 15/06/2015 – adnkronos
P
Media news on people's health: More than 60,000 Australians have reduced or stopped using cholesterol-lowering drugs following the airing of a two-part TV series criticizing statins. This was revealed by a study by the University of Sydney, published in the 'Medical Journal of Australia'.
The investigation concerns the scientific program of the Abc Tv' Catalyst', who questioned the link between cholesterol and heart disease, pointing out that the benefit of using statins in preventing cardiovascular disease would be overstated. To understand what effect it had on viewers, the experts analyzed data from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme on drug use among 191,000 people. The impact of the television series, which aired in October 2013, was evident early on, with 14,000 fewer people a week taking statins than expected.
“In the 8 months following the Catalyst broadcast, an estimated 60,897 fewer people took their meds. If this phenomenon continues over the next 5 years, it could lead to between 1,522 and 2,900 preventable and potentially fatal heart attacks,” the authors calculate. The ABC later removed the episodes from its site after an internal audit found that fairness standards had been violated.
“The impact of the program was not only immediate – comments the lead author of the research, Andrea Schaffer from the Sydney School of Pharmacy – but of long duration: statin delivery was significantly lower than expected for the entire post-transmission period we considered, equal to 8 months. It is unclear how long this change will last." But of particular concern to the authors is that this decline in statin use was seen in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
“The media – says another author of the survey, Emily Banks – have a fundamental role in challenging the status quo and in helping people make sense of the information they receive about their health. These results demonstrate the power of the media and the serious consequences when the news is not balanced”.
