New drug pulled from trials

Yesterday the big story was that Pfizer's experimental cholesterol drug, torcetrapibhad had been removed from the clinical trials because 82 people had died. A woman guest on Cavuto's show on Fox (I think) commented that if Michael Fox were told today that there was a cure for Parkinson's Disease that didn't require research for a new drug, would he pursue it? Then she went on to say that there is help for cardiovascular disease and no drugs or clinical trials are required. We already know what works. I agree with her 100%. For every drug we take, no matter how helpful, some chemical reaction not so helpful will also be happening. Why not correct the problem yourself?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women in the United States and most other developed countries, exceeding the number of deaths in men. Two thirds of the women who die of coronary heart disease have no previous symtoms. The road to a cure involves lifestyle changes and interventions available to any woman.

This is reprinted from "Evidence-Based Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women" (Circulation. 2004;109:672-693) describing what doctors should be doing for their female patients. It is a long list, but the first five items pretty much say it all, and four of the five are completely in our control. Ladies! Take back your health!

Lifestyle interventions
Cigarette smoking: Consistently encourage women not to smoke and to avoid environmental tobacco.

Physical activity : Consistently encourage women to accumulate a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (eg, brisk walking) on most, and preferably all, days of the week.

Cardiac rehabilitation : Women with a recent acute coronary syndrome or coronary intervention, new-onset or chronic angina should participate in a comprehensive risk-reduction regimen, such as cardiac rehabilitation or a physician-guided home- or community-based program.

Heart-healthy diet : Consistently encourage an overall healthy eating pattern that includes intake of a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fish, legumes, and sources of protein low in saturated fat (eg, poultry, lean meats, plant sources). Limit saturated fat intake to <10% gi="1">

Weight maintenance/reduction : Consistently encourage weight maintenance/reduction through an appropriate balance of physical activity, caloric intake, and formal behavioral programs when indicated to maintain/achieve a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2 and a waist circumference <35 in.