My favorite thing about living in America is the choices we get to make everyday. We can choose to get Starbucks or Dunkin. We can choose to ride our bike or take the car. We can choose what type of job we want to work at everyday. These choices also come with responsibility to educate yourself about potential side effects in making the choices we do everyday.

Here’s a great example: “STATINS LINKED TO MUSCLE PAIN, SPRAINS” (read the headline of Reuters Health this morning)

The BREAKDOWN:

I read the article which cites the Journal of American Medical Association–a hefty and well established journal. It represents diagnosis and studies done in the past as well as peer reviews and editorials of today’s medical research.

Today Reuter’s reports that JAMA claims in a recent study that statins are linked to MUSCLE PAIN and SPRAINS/STRAINS.

Unfortunately the evidence is shaky:

For all of us not on Statins (drugs used for high cholesterol levels), 85% reported problems with muscles or joints.

For those of us on Statins, 87% reported problems.

That pretty much sums up this study: nearly everyone has muscular and/or joint pain.

This girl is now Laughing out loud. Cheers.