In a statement to Lusa in response to news of the complaint, Dr. Manuel Pinto Coelho expressed his willingness to “debate with all colleagues, with the humility and elevation that derives from the Code of Ethics of the Order of Doctors.”
He added, “Debates do not happen through complaints to the Order of Doctors, and the processing of complaints does not serve to conduct a debate of opinions.”
“What I wrote and continue to write in my books comes from 53 years of clinical practice,” he emphasized.
Three medical societies are set to file a complaint with the Order of Doctors against Pinto Coelho, who regards cholesterol as an “ally” and denies the effectiveness of statins, urging patients not to discontinue their medication.
The Portuguese Society of Cardiology (SPC), the Portuguese Society of Atherosclerosis (SPA), and the Portuguese Society of Hypertension (SPH) announced their intention to submit a formal complaint to the Disciplinary Council of the Order of Doctors, calling for the “restoration of scientific truth.”
In a joint statement sent to the Lusa news agency concerning a TVI report broadcast last Saturday about Manuel Pinto Coelho’s new book, the scientific societies of Cardiology, Atherosclerosis, and Hypertension warned that presenting these opinions as a “legitimate other side” of medicine poses a “Public Health risk.”
They reminded that cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases account for 26% of deaths in Portugal, with 80% potentially preventable through the adoption of healthy lifestyles and adherence to preventive therapeutic measures, including cholesterol-lowering medications like statins.
