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>Finally, latest papers suggest that those who take statins, exercise less. Explanation? A cynic might insist that diabetes and couch potatodom both are caused by statins. I'd say that direct causation is less likely than the idea that those who exercise have less need for statins, explaining the finding... but in any case, statins are not a magic bullet to overcome poor lifestyle choices such as sedentary lifestyle that has huge association with early morbidity.

Let me share with you my “research” :) on the topic of cholesterol, Pharma and their connection to the cardio vascular diseases:
I grew up in the USSR (my Irish name may have mislead you <g>) where:

1. People ate fresh foods, meats, fruits, vegetables, eggs. Almost no pesticides, cows grazing on grass, no chemicals in food, no preservatives. The food was not in huge supply but there was enough. For example, many households had milk delivered every day from a small local farm (like in my family). The cow was milked that very morning. Again, no preservatives; so you have to buy fresh milk tomorrow again. The milk was rich in fat. There was no concept of low-fat or skim milk. I think the milk we drank was 8% (not 4% as it is now in this country). Everything tasted great.

But all these foods (meats and dairy) were loaded with cholesterol of which everybody knew it (I remember hearing many conversations of the fact that we ate high cholesterol food). The only prevention was not to eat and nobody dared this option <g>

2. People in 40s had heart attaches very often. Heart attaches and strokes in the 50s happened even more often. I am not even talking about 60s. Few people lived till old, old age of 70s.

Now in this country (USA) the food is loaded with chemicals, preservatives, additives. Fruits and vegies grow with pesticides. People eat junk food. Obesity is a huge problem. And yet the life expectancy is going up.

I remember my grandmother had a stroke in her 60s and died when he was about 71. In her 60s she looked like a very, very, very old woman (like you see here 100 year olds).
In this country, the seniors (in 70s and 80s) popping the pills and then go dancing, go on vacations, have sex (Viva Las Vegas :))

Last anecdotal example:

My wife’s family came to the USA in 1978 with my wife’s grandmother. Grandma was 72 at the time; very ill, heart problems, blood pressure, all kind of sh$t. The wife said that her parents were pretty much prepared to bury her in the USA (they could not leave her in USSR by herself). They brought her and, of course, took her to some doctors. They prescribed tons of meds for her (first time I learned about those 7-day plastic dispensers full of pills from my wife’s grandma). But she started feeling good. She lived by herself, cooking for herself, taking care of her apartment, etc. till 96 yo. Then we moved her to the nursing home where she lived till 101 yo. Even at 100 she was still walking around by herself and was lucid. Although she often forgot names.

Of course some here (on UT, they know who they are :) will say that it is all evil Pharma !!!