What is the scope of the problem?
I had my first real physical in years last week. My cholesterol was normal (for me): 140+, with a good ratio and very low tri-glycerides. But per the guidelines he wanted to put me on statins. I not only refused, but told him that not only would they not help with my situation (per the Pfizer web site, which he’s probably never actually read) but that I also thought they are vastly overprescribed, when diet is much more effective. He was surprised on both counts.
Good for you. From my experience working IT at a large clinic the docs are good folks but they appear to get virtually all of their drug information from the sales reps, which obviously will be slanted so heavily towards marketing. No one seemed to take the time to exercise healthy scepticism and challenge that marketing content before prescribing. I take that back…one doctor consistently took the approach of “let’s look at your diet and make some changes there to see how that helps before we pursue a prescription route” and they ran her off because her prescription drug revenues were well below what the other doctors brought the clinic.