by Dr John Briffa
The Cholesterol Truth

Excerpts:

Fibrates are drugs that lower levels of ‘unhealthy’ triglycerides, while at the same time boosting levels of HDL cholesterol (which is associated with reduced heart disease risk). They are commonly prescribed to diabetics who, in addition to raised blood sugar levels, tend to run high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL. The idea is that fibrates, particularly when combined with statins, will provide added protection against heart disease. The problem is, research shows fibrates don’t work.

Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine published a commentary from three doctors who were members of a panel which assessed the effectiveness of fibrates [1] for the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in the US. Their conclusion: fibrates have not been proven successful for preventing heart attacks in type 2 diabetes patients with raised cholesterol levels. Could a similar thing happen with other drugs? Well, as it happens, a review published in 2005 found that, in healthy individuals (with no history of cardiovascular disease), treatment with fibrates is associated with an increased risk of death. So, not only have fibrates not been shown to benefit diabetics, there is some evidence that they can be downright hazardous to health.

Read the full article here: http://www.thecholesteroltruth.com/fibrates-when-the-drugs-dont-work