The fight over statins

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statins

Statin drugs are powerful anti-inflammatory agents, and increase perfusion everywhere (thru effect upon eNOS). I can appreciate their unqualified use in an ACUTE setting, post heart attack or stroke. My belief is that with prolonged use, the "pleiotropic effects" of this class of drugs may be more than harmful. Statins deplete the body of coenzyme q10, a vital substance for the production of cellular energy, ATP. Mega doses of CoQ10 are currently in phase 3 trials to treat early stages of parkinson's, ALS and Alzheimer's. Seems all patients with parkinson's have depleted coq10, irregardless of their statin status. Statins deplete the body of dolichols, anecessary substance for production of neuropeptides and for glycosylation of proteins . Dolichols also constitute the largest % of lilpids within the part of the brain damaged in Parkinwon's disease, the substantia nigra. The fat soluble statins cross the blood brain barrier and theoretically affect brain cholesterol levels. If one buys the theory of brain plasticity (ability of brain to make new neurons) the fact cholesterol and apolipoprotein E are THE substances secreted by neuronal glial cells which allow cultured neurons to develop (ie snaptogenesis to occur) then altering cholesterol levels seems a more than questionable idea.
Xuemei Huang, MD, UNC Chapel Hill, has proposed a study to include 1600 patients to determine if statins are associated with Parkinson's disease after discovering low LDL was positively associated with Parkinson's. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/60876.php
Dr. Ralph Edwards, director of drug monitoring for the World Health Organization uncovered a statistically high # of ALS like syndrome cases among individuals who take statins and strongly advocated further testing to determine if there exists such an association. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/559283
Statins also interrupt the pathway to production of selenoproteins (numbering 35 @ poresent), thus interfering with the function of selinium within one's body.Included in the MANY functions of selenium, is that of an antioxidant for the brain. (oxidative streee is theorized to be a part of the major neuro diseases)
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673604157395/abstract
The Lancet 2004; 363:892-894

DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(04)15739-5
Hypothesis

Selenoprotein synthesis and side-effects of statins

Bernd Moosmann PhD a and Christian Behl PhD a

Summary
Statins are possibly the most effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia and coronary heart disease. They are generally well tolerated, however, they do cause some unusual side-effects with potentially severe consequences, most prominently myopathy or rhabdomyolysis and polyneuropathy. We noted that the pattern of side-effects associated with statins resembles the pathology of selenium deficiency, and postulated that the mechanism lay in a well established, but often overlooked, biochemical pathway?the isopentenylation of selenocysteine-tRNA[Ser]Sec. A negative effect of statins on selenoprotein synthesis does seem to explain many of the enigmatic effects and side-effects of statins, in particular, statin-induced myopathy.
Just to give the other side of the argument.....remember ALL drugs have UNWANTED side effects....In order to weigh the risks/benefits of a drug, one MUST have the full profile of that drug.

Posted by: mmlevy46@...   Posted on: 01/24/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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