Statins Harm Skeletal Muscles

September 29, 2008

[newsmax.com]

A new study confirms that cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) have

adverse effects on skeletal muscles, which are the muscles that allow

the body to move. The study, conducted by the University of Alabama at

Birmingham, found that statin drugs cause muscle cramping, fatigue, and

potential myopathy (weakness).

Fatigue is the side effect most often reported, and roughly nine percent

of users also report statin-related pain. Increasing the dosage of

statins can make both symptoms worse.

In an attempt to find whether there exists a definite cause-and-effect

link between these symptoms and statins, the study focused on the effect

of statins on muscle progenitor cells, which are also called satellite

cells (SC). These cells, which are central in skeletal muscle

regeneration and repair, come into play following exercise or injury, at

which time they are stimulated to proliferate.

Research zeroed in on possible antiproliferative effects of statins on

satellite cells, since statins are known to have such an effect on other

types of cells. The study addressed whether statins inhibited the

critical role of SCs and thereby harmed the health of skeletal muscles.

Human SC cultures were exposed to simvastatin (a statin drug marketed

under the trade name & ldquo;Zocor & rdquo;) in order to discover whether

it interfered with the ability of SCs to divide and make new cells,

which is what they must do in order to repair injured muscles. The

simvastatin had a definite slowing effect on division by the cultured

cells. By interpolating the results, the researchers found that taking

the equivalent of a 40 milligram daily dose reduces by 50 percent the

capacity of SCs to divide, and therefore definitely compromises their

ability to proliferate.

A member of the research team said, & ldquo;While these are preliminary

data and more research is necessary, the results indicate serious

adverse effects of statins that may alter the ability of skeletal muscle

to repair and regenerate due to the anti-proliferative effects of

statins. & rdquo;

Further, the team member expressed special concern for older patients:

& ldquo;We are very interested in these effects in the older population.

It is possible that older adults may not be able to distinguish between

muscle pain related to a statin effect or an effect of aging and

therefore adverse effects of statins in older adults may be

under-reported. Therefore, our next step is to examine statins among

older adults. & rdquo;

September 29, 2008

If were going to take the time to forward this stuff we ought to be sending it to our representatives --- congressman, senators, state representative, hospital administrators and the like.

Lets start a movement and get these people aware of what is going on.

a hot group for news people and government wonks - TV Radio talk people etc and a any that rings of being involved in the activities of promoting allopathic medicine.

I just love the Internet and my ability to stick my finger in government eye.

Duke Stone ----- Dallas, Texas

info

--- On Sun, 9/28/08, robert-blau <robert-blau wrote:

robert-blau <robert-blau Statins Harm Skeletal Muscles , SymphonicHealth , oleander soup Cc: gyllenha, camps_tito, asoftbouquet, purrlady, aviator72, duncanbrown108Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 11:04 PM

[newsmax.com]Statins Harm Skeletal MusclesA new study confirms that cholesterol- lowering drugs (statins) haveadverse effects on skeletal muscles, which are the muscles that allowthe body to move. The study, conducted by the University of Alabama atBirmingham, found that statin drugs cause muscle cramping, fatigue, andpotential myopathy (weakness). Fatigue is the side effect most often reported, and roughly nine percentof users also report statin-related pain. Increasing the dosage ofstatins can make both symptoms worse. In an attempt to find whether there exists a definite cause-and-effectlink between these symptoms and statins, the study focused on the effectof statins on muscle progenitor cells, which are also called satellitecells (SC). These cells, which are central in skeletal muscleregeneration and repair, come into play following exercise or injury, atwhich time they

are stimulated to proliferate. Research zeroed in on possible antiproliferative effects of statins onsatellite cells, since statins are known to have such an effect on othertypes of cells. The study addressed whether statins inhibited thecritical role of SCs and thereby harmed the health of skeletal muscles. Human SC cultures were exposed to simvastatin (a statin drug marketedunder the trade name & ldquo;Zocor & rdquo;) in order to discover whetherit interfered with the ability of SCs to divide and make new cells,which is what they must do in order to repair injured muscles. Thesimvastatin had a definite slowing effect on division by the culturedcells. By interpolating the results, the researchers found that takingthe equivalent of a 40 milligram daily dose reduces by 50 percent thecapacity of SCs to divide, and therefore definitely compromises theirability to proliferate. A

member of the research team said, & ldquo;While these are preliminarydata and more research is necessary, the results indicate seriousadverse effects of statins that may alter the ability of skeletal muscleto repair and regenerate due to the anti-proliferative effects ofstatins. & rdquo; Further, the team member expressed special concern for older patients: & ldquo;We are very interested in these effects in the older population.It is possible that older adults may not be able to distinguish betweenmuscle pain related to a statin effect or an effect of aging andtherefore adverse effects of statins in older adults may beunder-reported. Therefore, our next step is to examine statins amongolder adults. & rdquo;

September 29, 2008

Hasn't been that way for me. Every time I do it I feel better and then I usually get a form letter from a government slug with a word processor thanking me for my input. . It takes me about 3 seconds to add this list to my emails and I an finished.

I also have a list of all of the elected Dallas city council member . I rag them every day about the fluorine and chlorine in the water supple. That is as in everyday. No I never hear a word from them but when I start feeling better My plan is to start reading this kind of information into the city record once a month at he city council meeting.