I notice in today's news that Statins are being severely discredited with an estimate that long term use increases the risk of diabetes type 2 by as much as 49%.
On a personal level I have been trying for a long time to get the medical profession to accept that my diabetes has been caused by a combination of Sotalol and Statins. I have had huge resistance to this theory but had a breakthrough with a recent review by a Cardioligist who agreed that this was very likely as Sotalol is a beta-blocker which does in fact raise sugar levels.
I accept that you have to balance medical needs against potential side effects and Sotalol has helped me in keeping AF at bay. I just feel that there has been a significant smoke screen going on regarding the use of these so called wonder drugs like Statins. Is it all a big "con" created to fuel drug company profits, with Joe Public being the unwarranted guinea pig.
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Alanwilliam
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Sorry I can't say but it has. It isn't banned , just not recommended. At HRC last year a leading EP called it a nasty drug. It is a beta blocker with some anti arrhythmic properties but other than that I can't tell you anything about it.
I've been on statins for 8 years, I've had AF for 5 years. My Dad had and died from diabetes (mature onset). AF on my fathers side of the family seems to be genetic. Just recently I had my regular 2 year eye check up and was referred back to my GP because the Optometrist detected high blood pressure issues and raised blood glucose levels. Had Hb1ac blood test and result came back at 39, in other words high end of the normal range, the tipping point into Pre Diabetes being 42, and type 2 diabetes at 48. No room to be complacent ........ BUT ....... can I blame statins, I haven't a clue.
John
I'm worried about statins but don't know what to think. I've had high'ish cholesterol all my life and have done everything to get it down below 5. Think it's genetic because my brother was in double figures! Anyhow, I managed to get below 5 for about 3 years using a diet but it was hard work and eventually it went back up again and I couldn't see why. So I'm on Lipitor (Simvastatin didn't work) and it's working as my overall figures, whatever you call it, is below 4. I also only taking a low dose, so that's good.
I have wondered whether I should just let the C go high and forget the drugs with all the bad press they get. But had some blood taken and the nurse showed me the fat in the blood. Put the wind up me I have to say, so sticking with the statins at the moment and keeping my fingers crossed.
Koll
• in reply to
Hi Koll, firstly, if you research it seems it's not the total cholesterol figure but the ratio of the HDL (good stuff) to the LDL and also to the Triglicerides (both, the bad stuff).
I think I read somewhere 80%+ of our cholesterol is produced by our body (i.e. not directly from food), often because it is needed somewhere (e.g. inflammation). Very complicated though, my decision is no Statins. I am not complacent though and use the fact that I am not taking 'the magic bullett' meds to encourage me to find out more, plenty of exercise and eat better.
e.g. Now it seems animal fats are OK and the Weston A Price organisation has been saying this for years.
I have been around 6.8 cholesterol for 10 yrs (since my records began) and test last year showed all my heart and carotid arteries were A1 clear.
• in reply to
I would be wary of what they say about animal fats. I still reckon that generally produced beef (for example) in most places (especially the US) is not good because of what it is fed. But f you can get true 100% grass-fed then that's good. I actually got my lowest non-statin cholesterol of my life, for 2-3 years, on a diet quite high in grass-fed mince beef, loads of fat in it. I produce my own but don't so much now.
We also avoid early spring lamb, because there's no grass in early spring in the UK.
I'll look into the detail of the blood test more, thanks for that info. Hate taking pills.
K
• in reply to
Absolutely Koll, should have said only grass fed and ideally organic. You have to hunt for it. Good point on Spring lamb also.
I was told that my cholesterol level was borderline. A friend suggested I take sea buckthorn, which has omega 7. The next time I had my blood tested the practice nurse me what I had been doing as the levels were now in the normal range. I told my sister this, she was really not tolerating statins. She has stopped taking statins and now takes sea buckthorn and her cholesterol levels have come down. I don't know if that would be the case for everybody but it might be worth a try.
Some very interesting comments here about cholesterol and statins. Personally I have long ago decided to trust my liver to know just how much cholesterol my body requires. If there really IS a problem with high levels then why is there not more research to find out why so many people (mainly men) have misbehaving livers? I also understand that statins are not really much help for the female of the species -- again, mainly men. Hopefully there will be more comments on this subject, since so many people seem to be on this drug.
I just put STATINS AND PARKkINSONS DISEASE into a search engine and up came a whole page of studies/ information on how stains may prevent or ward off Parkinson's disease. Admittedly not as recent as 2015 but not old either. What oh what do we believe? Mind you, I never believe what the papers say,having a journalist for a sister has made sure of that!
Dr Kailash Chand, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association, was speaking following research which found those who take the cholesterol-lowering drugs are more than twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease in later life than those who do not. The Parkinson’s research carried out over 20 years, and involving nearly 16,000 people, suggests cholesterol may have a vital role in protecting the brain and nervous system.
I've been taking statins, first simva--, now atorva--, and I have just been diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. I also have type 2 diabetes. I 've been running round in circles trying to work out which of my drugs could have caused it, as it could well be the statin, I understand. Or the diabetes. Just one more b****y condition to cope with. What with my arthritic hip (new) and the af, I'm a bit snowed under at the moment. I can't dance, (don't ask me), I can't even walk far. Or stand for long. Looking froward to spring though, as we all are, I imagine! I'm going to look into sea buckthorn, thanks Mam48.
Confirmed by my GP yesterday that I have the same (ALT level 167, gamma GT 124). She thinks that it is probably the Simvastatin (stopped taking it last week) because I stopped taking Apixaban in the first week of January (and switched to warfarin so as to have CA) and stopped Flecainide at the end of November. Flecainide can cause raised liver enzyme levels (see leaflet) but this should have well gone by now. Just a question now of waiting to see what the levels are in a months time.
That does it for me. A 20 year research period involving 16,000 people is pretty substantial. Add to this that Dr Chand is a highly respected " big hitter " in the medical world and must have thought very carefully about the impact his revelation would make. I have been trying to get the powers that be to accept that my type 2 diabetes has been caused by a combination of statins and sotalol. They are reluctant to accept this but the latest information now seems to confirm that these wonder drugs i.e. Statins are not what they thought they were.
I am now going to stop taking them based on the latest news that they are substantially increasing the prevalence of both Diabetes and Parkinson's. Enough is enough
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