GeorgeB
Thanks
Do you have a location or name for that statin& niacin trial?
It is tough to evaluate ANY medicine from a single smallish short duration trial
especially something that modifies heart disease-a disease with a long "lag time"

Niacin+ statins "should" work-plausible that they would be synergistic-but that doesn't mean they will of course-lotta plausible meds and combination don't "work"
My reason for considering niacin with the lipitor is my wife can only tolerate a tiny-5-6mg/d dose of lipitor-
it-40 mg- made her legs very weak-and it spiked her insulin requirement- 60 units on 40 mg 37 units on 5-6mg
so obviously I think statins "work" but they are a long way from side effect free- muscle weakness and insulin tolerance
Part of the reason I took the lipitor-is I wanted to see if I noticed "anything" negative-SURE AS HECK DID- I feel "fuzzy" and legs -quads-get sore taking a very small 10mg every other day-dose.
So I'm thinking maybe a smallish-100 mg TID dose of niacin-immediate release-forget extended or sustained release- you liver needs niacin free intervals
Yes they claim you need more-but got my doubts about that-it isn't as if it is an antibiotic and you develop resistance on sub clinical doses

Yeah-the statins work(according to many many studies)-but no free lunch-
my guess is many patients taking them-are old-taking soooo many meds and have so many health problems-that when they slowly get weaker don't feel right- it just isn't "noticed" and they end up in a nursing home
Many cardiologists probably will honestly say "very few of my patients have problems with statins"
Oldster walks in-maybe a bit more slowly-but how is a MD going to detect that?? He won't!! Hell- the cardio won't EVER see the oldster walk in since the patient will be in the office waiting for MD- MD will NEVER evaluate something as subtle as a slightly slower walk??
But nothing better than statins-so..... what choice do you have if you have heart blood vessel disease?? None-or maybe Zetia?? (joke)
Nothing is BETTER than statins for decreasing MIs ....
There are some MABs in development-supposed to block cholesterol production I think-more specific than statins-but they aren't "out yet"(I think it is MABs-monoclonal antibodies but might have gotten that wrong-might be wrong on mechanism also-quick glance at something 2 months ago)
and they will be HORRENDOUSLY expensive
Heart disease-you are stuck with STATINS- simple as that
Fact that meds like the MAB are in development clearly indicates BIG PHARM fully aware of statins limitations