DRUGS USED TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL: THE STORY OF BAYCOL
Baycol was a statin drug manufactured by the German drug company Bayer AG. It was approved for use in the United States by the FDA in 1997. On 8th August 2001 Bayer AG voluntarily withdrew the drug from the market because it was responsible for the deaths of 31 people in the USA. These people developed rhabdomyolysis which is a severe breakdown of muscle cells that causes muscle pain, weakness, tenderness, fever, dark urine, nausea and vomiting. Most people die of kidney failure when this happens. Rhabdomyolysis is a possible side effect of all cholesterol lowering drugs called statins. In one third of these cases, the victim was also taking another cholesterol lowering drug called gemfibrozil, which is known to increase the risk of this condition. Following the withdrawal, the FDA did not undertake any regulatory action with regard to the other cholesterol lowering drugs in the same category as  ay col.
Baycol was the third best selling prescription drug for Bayer, and in the year 2000 it earned the company 560 million US dollars in sales. It is very sad that people had to die when cholesterol levels can be normalized in most cases with an appropriate eating plan and improving liver function. Between 1981 and 2000 the FDA approved 543 new drugs in the US. Fourteen of these drugs were subsequently recalled because of safety concerns. The drug Vioxx was withdrawn from the market in September 2004 because it was found to significantly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Why put your life in the hands of drug companies when nutritional medicine can prolong your life and improve its quality.
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