Facebook video spreads misinformation about vaccines and statins by health author Raymond Francis

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A Facebook video uploaded in July 2024 stated: “The safety of any vaccine has never been proven.” and implied that vaccines cause autism, ADHD, and cancer. It also claimed that “statins provide no benefit” and “poison you to death.” This YouTube video, uploaded nearly ten years ago, shows that the film is an excerpt from a 2015 presentation by the late Raymond Francis titled “The Great American Health Scam: Why Getting Sick Is a Big Mistake You Can Avoid.”

At the time of writing, the YouTube video has been viewed 120,000 times; the Facebook video has received more than 775,000 views in less than two months.

Francis, who died in 2020, published a number of books with titles such as “Never Be Sick Again” and “Never Be Fat Again.” The author bio of his books described him as a “trained chemist and graduate of MIT,” and at least one book described him as an “MIT-trained scientist.”

These descriptions and the medical theme of these books suggest that Francis had medical training. This blog post from Beyond Health, a company founded by Francis, stated that his qualifications were in engineering and chemistry. The books also listed Doctor of Science (DSc) and Registered Nurse Certified (RNC) as titles Francis held, but we could not find any public records of where and when he obtained these qualifications.

The claims made by Francis about vaccines and statins during his speech are inaccurate, as we will explain below.

Published studies have shown that vaccines do not cause autism, cancer or ADHD

Science Feedback has debunked false claims that vaccines cause autism in previous reports. As explained in those reports, several published studies have found no link between childhood vaccines and an increased risk of autism.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has compiled a list of studies that show that childhood vaccinations are not associated with an increased risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

We also addressed the false claim that vaccines cause cancer and explained that there is no link between childhood vaccinations and an increased risk of cancer. We also explained in the same review that There is no plausible mechanism by which vaccines could cause cancer.

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute states that vaccines generally do not cause cancer.

A previous study also found that vaccinated children were not more likely to have adverse health effects than unvaccinated children, demonstrating that childhood vaccinations are not associated with poorer health.

The Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia summarized the results of three large studies that showed that vaccines do not cause ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. In particular, a study published in 2010 found no link between timely vaccination in the first year of life and negative effects on neurodevelopment.⁽¹⁾.

In summary, the scientific evidence refutes Francis’ claim that vaccines are unsafe.

Statins help prevent heart attacks and strokes in risk groups

In addition to vaccines, Francis also addressed statins in his speech, claiming that they “bring no benefit.”

Statins are drugs that lower the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver and help the liver remove cholesterol from the blood. They are included in the World Health Organization’s 2023 Model List of Essential Medicines.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that the body needs to produce hormones, vitamin D and digestive substances. However, excess cholesterol contributes to the formation of fatty deposits (plaque) that stick to the walls of blood vessels. These deposits obstruct blood flow and prevent tissues from getting the oxygen they need. This can lead to coronary heart disease and cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

By lowering cholesterol levels in the body, statins help reduce the risk of these events. They are usually prescribed as a preventative medication for people who have high cholesterol or factors that increase their risk of coronary heart disease, such as high blood pressure or diabetes (primary prevention). They are also prescribed to people who have had a heart attack or stroke to prevent these events from happening again (secondary prevention).

Francis’s claim is refuted by published studies showing that statins are effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A study published in 2016 and led by researchers at the University of Oxford evaluated a number of statin studies, including randomized clinical trials. The authors reported that statins reduced the incidence of serious cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke, and that this reduction correlated with a reduction in blood cholesterol levels.⁽²⁾They also found that these benefits persisted for years if the person continued taking statins.

A 2022 study conducted by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University examined randomized clinical trials to evaluate the benefits of statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The authors reported that statins reduced the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events⁽³⁾. Also added:

“The benefits of statin therapy appear to be present in diverse demographic and clinical populations, with relative benefits being consistent across groups defined by demographic and clinical characteristics.”

In summary, Francis’ claim that statins “do not provide any benefit” is false. The benefits of statins for people at risk of cardiovascular disease are well established by randomized clinical trials. These studies show that statins reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke, as well as cardiovascular mortality.

Claims about the harm of statins exaggerate the risks or are not supported by evidence

Despite their benefits, concerns about the safety of statins are widespread, partly due to news headlines that have widely publicized the perceived or actual harms of statins. The European Society of Cardiology and the British Heart Foundation have published articles aimed at dispelling myths about statins, some of which were also spread by Francis in the video.

Specifically, Francis claimed that statins cause diabetes, memory loss and cancer. But of these three factors, only the onset of type II diabetes has been proven to be a possible side effect of statins.^{(4, 5)}. It is also important to note that this side effect is more likely to occur in people who are already borderline diabetic (prediabetes). Furthermore, the risk of this side effect is outweighed by the cardiovascular benefits of statins.

In 2018, the American Heart Association published a scientific statement and evaluation of data on the safety of statins. It found that the risk of new-onset diabetes caused by statins is approximately 0.2% per year of treatment, although this depends on the population studied.⁽⁶⁾.

However, “no convincing evidence” was found that statins cause cancer, cognitive dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy.

Science Feedback has previously looked into the unproven claim that statins cause Alzheimer’s and memory loss. It showed that several clinical trials found no link between cognitive decline and statin use. These trials include the PROSPER trial, which involved people from Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK.⁽⁷⁾and the ASPREE study in Australia and the USA⁽⁸⁾.

The previously cited study by Oxford researchers from 2016 also found no reliable evidence that statins cause cognitive decline.⁽²⁾.

In summary, the evidence shows that statins can lead to type 2 diabetes in people who already have elevated blood sugar levels. However, this risk is outweighed by the cardiovascular benefits of statins. There is no convincing evidence to support the claim that statins cause memory loss or cancer.

Incorrect information about the safety of statins leads some patients to avoid or stop taking statins, which can cause harm in practice: a study conducted in Denmark found that those who stopped taking statins within six months of starting therapy were about 20% more likely to have a heart attack over the next ten years than those who continued taking statins.⁽⁹⁾In addition, the probability of dying from cardiovascular disease was about 18% higher among the former than among the latter.

Diploma

The Facebook post spreads common misinformation about vaccines and statins that is contradicted by scientific evidence. Studies show that vaccines are not associated with a higher risk of autism, ADHD, and cancer, and therefore do not support the claim that vaccines cause these conditions.

Studies also show that statins play an important role in reducing cardiovascular disease and mortality in high-risk groups. Like any drug, statins can have certain side effects, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in people with high blood sugar. Overall, however, their benefits outweigh the risks.

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