Rosuvastatin (Crestor) is associated with a 2.8-fold increased risk of lung cancer

This study was published in the Libyan Journal of Medicine 2012 Dec 27;7(0):1-3

 

Study title and authors:

Statins use and female lung cancer risk in Taiwan.

Lai SW, Liao KF, Lin CL, Sung FC, Cheng YH.

School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23272648

This study investigated the assoiation between statins and lung cancer in women. The study included 1,117 women with newly diagnosed lung cancer, average age 66.5 years, who were compared to 4,468 age-matched women without lung cancer.

The study found:
(a) Statin use was associated with a 7% increased risk of lung cancer.
(b) Rosuvastatin (Crestor) use of over 12 months duration was associated with a 2.8-fold increased risk of lung cancer.

The data from the study reveals that statin use is associated with higher rates of lung cancer.

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Low-fat, low-cholesterol diets increase the risk of heart disease

This study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation 1990 Jan;85(1):144-51

 

Study title and authors:

A low-fat diet decreases high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels by decreasing HDL apolipoprotein transport rates.

Brinton EA, Eisenberg S, Breslow JL.

Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics and Metabolism, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2104877

Scientific evidence suggests that high levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoproteins A-I may offer protection from heart disease, see here, here and here. Other studies reveal that high triglyceride levels are associated with heart disease see here and here.

This study compared the effects of a high-fat diet and a low-fat diet on heart disease risk factors. The study included 13 subjects who were kept on either a high-fat or low-fat diet for four weeks each.

The fat and cholesterol content of the diets comprised of:
(i) 41.9% fat of which 23.6% was saturated fat + 215 mg of cholesterol per 100 calories (high-fat diet).
(ii) 8.6% fat of which 2.1% was saturated fat + 40 mg of cholesterol per 100 calories (low-fat diet).

The study found:
(a) Those on the low-fat diet had 29% lower levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol compared to those on the high-fat diet.
(b) Those on the low-fat diet had 23% lower levels of apolipoproteins A-I compared to those on the high-fat diet.
(c) Those on the low-fat diet had 32% higher levels of triglycerides compared to those on the high-fat diet.

The results from this study reveal that a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet increases the risk factors associated with heart disease compared to a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet.

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Statin use associated with increased risk of brain hemorrhage after stroke treatment

This study was published in Stroke 2009 May;40(5):1729-37

 

Study title and authors:

Prior statin use, intracranial hemorrhage, and outcome after intra-arterial thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke.

Meier N, Nedeltchev K, Brekenfeld C, Galimanis A, Fischer U, Findling O, Remonda L, Schroth G, Mattle HP, Arnold M.

Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19265056

Ischemic stroke occurs when an artery to the brain is blocked. Intra-arterial thrombolysis is a medical intervention that breaks down the blockages by pharmacological means. A complication of intra-arterial thrombolysis is intracranial (brain) hemorrhage.

The study evaluated the influence of statin pretreatment and cholesterol levels on the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in 311 patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving intra-arterial thrombolysis treatment.

The study found:
(a) The cholesterol levels of patients who had an intracranial hemorrhage were 2.5% lower than patients who did not have an intracranial hemorrhage.
(b) Statin uses had a 210% increased risk of an intracranial hemorrhage compared to nonusers.
(c) Three months after their stroke, statin users had a 59% increased risk of death compared to nonusers.

The study shows that prior statin use is associated with a higher frequency of intracranial hemorrhage after intra-arterial thrombolysis treatment for ischemic stroke.

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Professor says that long-term consumption of plant sterol-enriched margarines may increase cardiovascular risk

This study was published in the British Medical Journal Case Reports 2009;2009. pii: bcr10.2008.1108

Study title and authors:
Extravascular lipid deposit (xanthelasma) induced by a plant sterol-enriched margarine.

Vergès B, Athias A, Petit JM, Brindisi MC.
Hôpital du Bocage, 2 Bd Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Dijon 21000, France.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21822448

A 59 year old woman consumed a plant sterol-enriched margarine of 20 g/day (Fruit d’Or Pro-activ margarine, containing 8% phytosterols), corresponding to 1.6 g/day phytosterols.

(i) After 18 months of regular consumption of plant sterol-enriched margarine, the woman developed xanthelasma. (Xanthelasma are fatty lumps, which tend to form near the inner corners of the upper and lower eyelids).
(ii) The woman's phytosterol levels were significantly increased (165 μmol/l); (normal is less than 25 μmol/l).
(iii) The woman discontinued her consumption of plant sterol-enriched margarine. Three months later, her phytosterol levels were normal (20 μmol/l).

Professor Bruno Verges, who headed this investigation, concluded: "The increase in plasma phytosterol concentrations due to plant sterol-enriched margarines could be harmful, and we cannot exclude that long-term consumption of plant sterol-enriched margarines may increase cardiovascular risk".

Comparison of levels of phytosterols in vegetables, fruit and plant sterol-enriched margarines

The average phytosterol content of vegetables is 14 mg per 100 grams. Vegetables with the highest content include brussels sprouts at 43 mg per 100 grams and cauliflower at 40 mg per 100 grams.

The average phytosterol content of fruits is 16 mg per 100 grams. Fruits with the highest content include passion fruit at 44 mg per 100 grams and oranges at 24 mg per 100 grams. See here.

The phytosterol content of plant sterol-enriched margarine is much higher:
Take Control Spread 11,784 mg per 100 grams.
Fruit d’Or Pro-activ margarine 8,000 mg per 100 grams. (Fruit d'Or is also sold as Flora and Becel).
Benecol 6,070 mg per 100 grams.

The presence of phytosterols in very small quantities in fruit and vegetables suggests that they may be beneficial to health in very small quantities. However the phytosterol content of plant sterol-enriched margarines are higher by an order of magnitude of up to 841 times than the average vegetable.

This abnormally large increase in phytosterol consumption highlights the potential risk of toxicity that may be caused by excess phytosterols in plant sterol-enriched margarines.

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Statins increase the risk of muscle adverse reactions

This study was published in Muscle and Nerve 2011 Dec;44(6):877-81

Study title and authors:
Prevalence and risk factors of muscle complications secondary to statins.

El-Salem K, Ababneh B, Rudnicki S, Malkawi A, Alrefai A, Khader Y, Saadeh R, Saydam M.
Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan. khalidelsalem@hotmail.com

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22102457

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of muscle complications among patients using statins. The study included 345 patients receiving statins who were compared with an age- and gender-matched control group of 85 nonusers.

The study found that statin users had a 256% increased risk of muscle adverse reactions compared to nonusers.

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The importance of cholesterol to healthy cell functioning

This study was published in Nature Communications 2012 Dec 4;3:1249

Study title and authors:
Cholesterol modulates cell signaling and protein networking by specifically interacting with PDZ domain-containing scaffold proteins.

Sheng R, Chen Y, Yung Gee H, Stec E, Melowic HR, Blatner NR, Tun MP, Kim Y, Källberg M, Fujiwara TK, Hye Hong J, Pyo Kim K, Lu H, Kusumi A, Goo Lee M, Cho W.
Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23212378

Wonhwa Cho, professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago and investigator on the study notes that inside the thin membrane of a cell, cholesterol is at high levels (30 to 40 percent) which suggests that it plays an important role in cellular processes.

Scaffolding proteins play an important role in cell signaling. A scaffold protein uses its physical structure to bring together other proteins so they can pass signals to each other. They have protein binding sites that offer the signaling proteins a place to latch onto.

The authors of the study found:
(a) Cholesterol binds to a region on the scaffold protein NHERF/EBP50 where one of its signaling partners also binds.
(b) Disruption of the cholesterol binding to that site stopped the signaling partner from activating.
(c) At least seven more scaffold proteins also bind cholesterol and have cholesterol-binding sites.

This shows the influential role cholesterol may play in cell signaling through direct interactions with scaffold proteins.

This suggests this way of interacting with cholesterol could be used by many proteins inside cells and highlights the importance of cholesterol to healthy cell functioning.

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Doctor says that simvastatin should be considered among the causes of peripheral neuropathy

This study was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 1995 May;58(5):625-8

Study title and authors:
Peripheral neuropathy associated with simvastatin.

Phan T, McLeod JG, Pollard JD, Peiris O, Rohan A, Halpern JP.
Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Australia.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7745415

This paper describes four patients who developed sensorimotor neuropathy (sensorimotor neuropathy is a type of peripheral neuropathy that damages the motor nerves and the sensory nerves) while being treated with simvastatin and had complete or partial recovery after the withdrawal of statin treatment.

Case 1
A man aged 52 started treatment with simvastatin (10 mg/day).

Soon after he noticed generalised muscle weakness and fatigue. The weakness became progressively worse and he had difficulty in ascending stairs and running. After six months his right foot and subsequently his left foot became numb.

Treatment with simvastatin was withdrawn and on review six weeks later muscle cramps and weakness had improved although he still had the symptoms and signs of peripheral neuropathy.

On his last review, 18 months after the withdrawal of simvastatin, there had been furter clinical improvement.

Case 2
A women of 66 had started two years previously with simvastatin (10 mg/daily) which was subsequently gradually increased to 40 mg/daily after one year.

After the two years of statins the woman had weakness of the lower limbs and difficulty in rising from a chair. After three more months she was severely incapacitated and confined to a wheelchair. By four months she was unable to feed herself or to comb her hair and was admitted to a nursing home. She had pain in the fingers, the front of her legs, lower chest and abdominal wall.

Simvastatin was stopped and improvement followed. Nine months later she could feed herself, comb her hair and walk with the aid of a stick. Power in all muscle groups in the lower limbs also increased greatly.

Case 3
A women of 65 had started two years previously with simvastatin (10 mg/daily) which was subsequently increased to 20 mg/daily after one year.

After two years of statins the woman developed upper and lower limb weakness. Initially she had difficulty in rising out of chairs and climbing stairs and weakness progressed over a period of six weeks untill she was unable to lift her arms above her head, rise from a chair unaided, or walk without support. She complained of a burning sensation in her left foot.

Simvastatin treatment was withdrawn and four months later she had completely recovered clinically.

Case 4
A women ages 39 was given a daily dose of 10 mg of simvastatin.

Within 24 hours of starting the drug she developed pain in her right calf, and later pain in her right groin and pains down both arms. These symptoms were followed by the development of a sensation of pins and needles in her fingertips and later the toes.

Simvastatin was discontinued after a total dose of 180 mg. On review three months later she reported almost complete recovery from her symptoms except for a few patches of tenderness over her body.

Conclusion

The researchers suggest that statins may damage the peripheral nerves because they block the production of ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10). Without the presence of ubiquinone within the body’s cells, cellular energy cannot be generated or sustained.

The head of the study, Dr Tai Phan, concluded that: "Simvastatin should be considered among the causes of peripheral neuropathy".

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