Thursday, July 9, 2009

Letter to Editor - Lane County

"Try Vitamin D, Not Statins"

The promotion of statin medications is out of control. Some have even recommended placing all children on statins in the hope of reducing childhood obesity andtherefore eventual heart disease. The article (advertisement?) in the Register-Guard's June 15 Oregon Life section promotes the use of statins for most of the conditions associated with aging.

Interestingly, or perhaps sadly, if vitamin D were substituted for statin drugs the article would be essentially the same. Vitamin D, in adequate amounts, provides almost identical clinical benefits at a fraction of the cost and with virtually no side-effects.

Additionally, adequate maternal vitamin D reduces the risk of autism, mental retardation, respiratory infection, juvenile diabetes, low birth weight, seizures, epilepsy, asthma, etc., (see www.vitamindcouncil.org)

In today's economic climate it would be impossible to place the general population on statin drugs, let alone deal with the side effects. That is not true with vitamin D. For 20 cents a day, adequate doses of vitamin D can be obtained for most people

John E Gambee, M.D.
Junction City

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