'First comprehensive paper on statins' adverse effects released'

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**First comprehensive paper on statins* adverse effects released**

_http://healthfreedomnet.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2014308%3ABlogPost%3A9

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(http://healthfreedomnet.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2014308:BlogPost:9381 & xg\

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A paper co-authored by Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, associate professor of

medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and

director of UC San Diego's Statin Study group cites nearly 900 studies on the

adverse effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), a class of drugs

widely

used to treat high cholesterol.

 

The result is a review paper, currently published in the on-line edition of

American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, that provides the most complete

picture to date of reported side effects of statins, showing the state of

evidence for each. The paper also helps explain why certain individuals have an

increased risk for such adverse effects.

 

**Muscle problems are the best known of statin drugs* adverse side

effects,** said Golomb. **But cognitive problems and peripheral neuropathy, or

pain or

numbness in the extremities like fingers and toes, are also widely

reported.** A spectrum of other problems, ranging from blood glucose elevations

to

tendon problems, can also occur as side effects from statins.

 

The paper cites clear evidence that higher statin doses or more powerful

statins - those with a stronger ability to lower cholesterol - as well as

certain genetic conditions, are linked to greater risk of developing side

effects.

 

**Physician awareness of such side effects is reportedly low,** Golomb said.

**Being vigilant for adverse effects in their patients is necessary in order

for doctors to provide informed treatment decisions and improved patient

care.**

 

The paper also summarizes powerful evidence that statin-induced injury to

the function of the body's energy-producing cells, called mitochondria,

underlies many of the adverse effects that occur to patients taking statin

drugs.

 

Mitochondria produce most of the oxygen free radicals in the body, harmful

compounds that *antioxidants* seek to protect against. When mitochondrial

function is impaired, the body produces less energy and more *free radicals*

are

produced. Coenzyme Q10 (* Q10 *) is a compound central to the process of

making energy within mitochondria and quenching free radicals. However, statins

lower Q10 levels because they work by blocking the pathway involved in

cholesterol production - the same pathway by which Q10 is produced. Statins

also

reduce the blood cholesterol that transports Q10 and other fat-soluble

antioxidants.

 

**The loss of Q10 leads to loss of cell energy and increased free radicals

which, in turn, can further damage mitochondrial DNA,** said Golomb, who

explained that loss of Q10 may lead to a greater likelihood of symptoms arising

from statins in patients with existing mitochondrial damage - since these

people especially rely on ample Q10 to help bypass this damage. Because statins

may cause more mitochondrial problems over time - and as these energy

powerhouses tend to weaken with age—new adverse effects can also develop the

longer a

patient takes statin drugs.

 

**The risk of adverse effects goes up as age goes up, and this helps explain

why,** said Golomb. **This also helps explain why statins* benefits have not

been found to exceed their risks in those over 70 or 75 years old, even

those with heart disease.** High blood pressure and diabetes are linked to

higher

rates of mitochondrial problems, so these conditions are also clearly linked

to a higher risk of statin complications, according to Golomb and co-author

Marcella A. Evans, of UC San Diego and UC Irvine Schools of Medicine.

 

The connection between statins* antioxidant properties and mitochondrial

risk helps explain a complicated finding that statins can protect against the

very same problems, in some people, to which they may predispose others -

problems such as muscle and kidney function or heart arrhythmia.

 

Source: University of California - San Diego (via Phys.org)

 

 

Abstract: _Statin Adverse Effects: A Review of the Literature and Evidence

for..._

(http://cardiovascular.adisonline.com/pt/re/cvd/abstract.00129784-200808060-0000\

4.htm)

_http://cardiovascular.adisonline.com/pt/re/cvd/abstract.00129784-200808060-00

004.htm;jsessionid=JJMB71yBj972gbHZWpkY6nY4p2GGY6Ky9v7cpXtPkQL5J7Y12ZTC!132108

2991!181195629!8091!-1_

(http://cardiovascular.adisonline.com/pt/re/cvd/abstract.00129784-200808060-0000\

4.htm;jsessionid=JJMB71yBj972gbHZWpkY6nY4p2GGY6Ky9v7

cpXtPkQL5J7Y12ZTC!1321082991!181195629!8091!-1)

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