OTHER STATIN EFFECTS

April 14, 2010

"Letting go of the way things are, anticipating instead what they may become, frees us to live each moment fully"

This year is especially important for me to not only state the above but do the above. There is not anyone without issues out there. We all have something to think about or worry about. I am not an exception. I must let go of issues this summer. I must let go of the fact that I am going to be fifty - better to write the number rather than the numerals. I recommend the The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie.

Yes, we are still discussing cholesterol. I need to mention other side effects of the statin drugs. These are the drugs that lower cholesterol. No one will deny that statin drugs do lower cholesterol, both total and bad (LDL), yet if it blocks the enzyme to produce cholesterol it is also compromising the other derivative hormones that cholesterol makes. For example: testosterone, the body's natural steroids, and female hormones will not be made if we are blocking the cholesterol pathway. It throws off the body's physiology.

All clinical trials do not pay attention to this fact, but are only concerned that the cholesterol numbers go down. When they approved Zetia and Vytorin (a combination of Zetia with a statin), they were concerned with the reduction in LDL. Two years later, the ENHANCE trial proved there was no change in mortality due to these drugs. A better study showed the effects of statins versus exercise and dietary lifestyle. I was particularly interested in this trial. The statin group did lower cholesterol significantly more than the exercise/diet group. However there was the SAME, yes the same, rates of death and heart disease in both groups.

Statins do cause muscle weakness (called statin myopathy) where muscles, especially in the legs feel weak. This is reversible with the supplement CoEnzyme Q 10, other mitochondrial supplements and plant botanicals. In the 1970's it was published that statin drugs deplete CoEnzyme Q 10. You must be careful when your doctor prescribes a statin drug with another lipid lowering drug like fibrate. It is good that both of these drugs alter fats in different ways but both can seriously effect the kidneys, which is called rhabdomyolysis. Did you know that a statin drug was taken off the market years ago for 31 deaths related to this? Do you think it was just the side effect of this one drug or the class of statin drugs?

Other serious side effects may be new to the general public. It has been postulated and shown that statin drugs stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, which could be a risk of an increase in cancer. Another less known side effect is that statins reduce cognitive function of the brain. All doctors should be aware of the cognitive impairment and the dementia as potential side effects with statin drugs. I am sure they are not! A study of 283 individuals were either given placebo or a low dose statin. The statin group was associated with minor changes in memory, test performance and overall mental efficacy. I wonder how many doctors actually prescribe statins for themselves? Surely not I.

Other risk factors for heart disease beyond cholesterol include homocysteine, CRP HS, fibrinogen, testosterone, iron and stress. I called these risk factors the Millennium Risk Factors ten years ago. No one paid attention to these at that time, but surely now people are writing, researching and reading about them.

The needle canvas above is of a Roadrunner. Remember Wiley Coyote and the Roadrunner from Warner Brothers? The roadrunner always said, "beep beep." This canvas was painted after spending time in Arizona studying Integrative Medicine.

Photo credit: Rick Byrd

Until tomorrow...