IN LATE 2013, young UK cardiologist Aseem Malhotra created a flutter in the medical community and the media by publishing an article in the British Medical Journal. The article argued that the fear of saturated fat and cholesterol as bad for the heart was unsubstantiated and had, paradoxically, made the population more susceptible to heart disease (as sugars soon replaced saturated fat, demonized for raising cholesterol, in food products). The obsession with lowering total cholesterol in people, he lamented, had led to the overmedication of millions with statins, a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs with common side effects and exaggerated benefits. Statin risks stated by Malhotra and another paper in the journal were contested and the debate on the drug raged for months.
Controversy has been a familiar affair for Malhotra, a vocal campaigner against added sugar, low-fat advice, overmedication, and the pharma industry’s influence on drug regulation and health guidelines. For over a decade he has been disputing the science and evidence behind the cholesterol-focused approach to preventing and treating heart disease in medical journals and the media. While academic debates are good for science and policy, they are of little use for the patient in need of practical advice.
Denne historien er fra December 01, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra December 01, 2021-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
