Portugal’s Heart Experts Urge: Keep Taking Statins Despite TV Doctor’s Claims

Portuguese residents who rely on cholesterol-lowering medicines have spent the past few days sifting through conflicting advice. On one side stand three of the country’s most respected scientific associations; on the other, a television-friendly doctor who calls cholesterol an “ally”. The stand-off is anything but academic, because every skipped pill can mean an extra ambulance call.

Why the alarm bells rang

Cardiologists began the week by filing a formal grievance with the Ordem dos Médicos, warning that recent media appearances by Manuel Pinto Coelho place the public in danger. In the same breath, the Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia, the Sociedade Portuguesa de Aterosclerose and the Sociedade Portuguesa de Hipertensão urged patients to keep taking their prescriptions. The three societies argue that dissuading people from statins could translate into fresh waves of heart attacks and strokes. They point to national mortality tables showing that cardio- and cerebrovascular disease already account for roughly a quarter of all deaths in Portugal, a figure the groups say would be far lower if adherence to preventive therapy were higher.

The man at the centre

Dr Pinto Coelho, an internist with decades of practice and a flair for controversy, released a new book that frames LDL cholesterol as misunderstood and champions lifestyle tweaks over medication. The narrative gained traction after a weekend prime-time interview in which he characterised statins as “over-prescribed” chemicals that do more harm than good. Critics inside the specialty colleges counter that the doctor’s claims brush aside four decades of peer-reviewed trials linking elevated LDL to atherosclerosis.

Scientific consensus versus controversy

Global reference bodies—from the World Health Organization to the European Society of Cardiology—classify high LDL cholesterol as a causal factor in plaque formation. Their guidelines cite consistent reductions in morbidity when patients follow statin therapy. Portuguese experts highlight that the benefits extend beyond lipid values, lowering systemic inflammation and stabilising vascular walls. For them, the conversation is not about opinion but about reproducible evidence amassed across tens of randomised controlled trials.

What it means for patients across Portugal

Pharmacies from Faro to Braga report anxious calls from clients wondering whether to halve or halt their dosages. General practitioners say the talk-show soundbites are arriving in the consultation room, forcing clinicians to devote extra minutes to recalibrate trust. The medical societies’ joint communique reminds patients that abruptly stopping cholesterol-lowering drugs can trigger a rebound effect: within days, circulating LDL may surge and destabilise pre-existing plaques. Doctors emphasise that any change in medication must be conducted under supervision, ideally accompanied by lipid panels and blood-pressure checks.

Inside the Ordem dos Médicos’ disciplinary machinery

Once a complaint lands, the Conselho Disciplinar evaluates whether a physician’s public statements breach the code of ethics or endanger public health. Sanctions range from a written warning to suspension of the licence. Sources inside the Ordem stress that due process, including the right to a defence, will be respected. Even so, the case has revived recurring debates about how forcefully the professional regulator should respond when scientifically unsupported claims reach a mass audience.

The wider battle against medical disinformation

Portugal has grappled with contested health narratives before—vaccine scepticism, miracle diets, even alternative Covid cures. Yet experts note that the cholesterol debate touches a particularly fragile nerve because its potential fallout is both silent and swift. Unlike infections that prompt immediate symptoms, plaque build-up happens quietly until a vessel blocks. That lag makes the statin-adherence issue a bellwether for the country’s ability to shield citizens from seductive but unsafe shortcuts.

Parallel clashes over prescribing powers

Tension between the medical profession and policymakers predates the current dispute. Earlier this year the Ordem rejected a government idea to authorise pharmacies to issue prescriptions, describing it as an “unacceptable affront” to patient safety. The plan has since stalled, but the episode illustrates how questions about who owns the right to prescribe—and under what evidence framework—are far from settled.

Bottom line for anyone with a prescription

The consensus from virtually every cardiovascular society is blunt: keep taking your medicine unless the doctor who knows your dossier decides otherwise. In a country where 80 % of heart-related deaths could be avoided through lifestyle adjustments and proven drugs, skipping statins may feel like liberation but frequently ends at the emergency ward. For now, the safest course is to treat best-selling books as conversation starters, not treatment guidelines, and to let blood tests—rather than talk shows—dictate when, how and whether to dial back the dose.