Statins May Help Reduce Strokes Related to Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
New research finds that taking statins may help reduce the risk of stroke in people who have atrial fibrillation. This is an interesting article with implications for those with Afib.
Very interesting MJZaw. My husband has Afib and also takes a statin plus anti coagulant. I don’t have a statin but it’s good to know they can help. Thank you.
You've opened a can of worms, just wait for the anti pharma folk to reply, personally I take 40mg atorvastatin after a stroke in Feb 18 even though my cholesterol levels were normal
You might be right, however, I prefer to follow reputable research in making such decisions.
Thank you for posting this ! I've been taking a statin for many years with no problems. Any thing that helps to lessen stroke risk is fine with me.
I'm not anti pharma. just anti statins. I might be less anti if our doctors here in UK were not given incentives to prescribe them. I took them for many years before they started to adversly affect my life because I didn't know any better.
Hello Bob. Can you let me know the problem you had when taking them. I’m so undecided whether or not to start in them
Terrible muscle pains in my legs. Last year I had my third angiogram which showed little difference from that done in 1997. As my EP told me "your coronaries are fine."
Thanks Bob. My cholesterol is 5.7. Angiogram showed mild plaque in one artery. Very unsure whether to take them.
Did you try a different make? After Heart attack I was given statins and atorvastatin made me like that. Swapped to simvastatin- no problems. I had what seemed like increased pain ( I have spinal problems) so I came off statins for 3 months to make sure they weren't causing it. I do appreciate that some people just can't take them.
My partner had two heart attacks and stents fitted. He was put on statins and after a short while had the most horrendous pain and got to the stage where he couldn't even get out of the car. A fit marathon runner previously. The statins are away his muscles, hence he no longer takes them
I was on statins over 20 years ago and I was on 20 mg a day but I ached a lot I got a letter from my drs where two of the drs in the practice were friends of mine saying everyone in the practice who were on statins will be doubling up so I rang and spoke to my friend who said don’t worry I won’t put yours up it’s not the drs but the government had sent a directive to all surgeries to double up on dosage I couldn’t believe what I was hearing as my cholesterol was low taking the 20mg
Ditto Bob’s reply - not persuaded by that study - there are less injurious anti-inflammatory compounds which do the job. It’s a statistical analysis without any breakdown of the age, ethnicity, other co-morbidities, PAF or persistent so risk still outweighs benefits for me. Meaningless.
Yes, this is a statistical analysis, but one done on a patient base of >50,000 patients over the course of 8 years. That's a pretty good analysis in my opinion, and certainly more credible than some I've seen based on a much lower case load. I'd be curious to see the analysis done with the "less injurious" anti-inflammatory compounds which "do the job".
Also you could probably bet the house that the benefit is presented as relative risk reduction and when that is translated into absolute risk reduction it will be far less- possibly even negligible.
Interesting you should say that because I’ve been trying to track down the actual study to try unpack some of the raw data and all I can find are articles presenting the data 3rd hand. What would you make of that? The links in the article are to other articles, no references to the actual study. Have I missed something?
The author, Jiayi Huang, seems to be a PhD researcher who is listed as ‘affiliated’ at Hong Kong University, China with no registered research profile. It appears that they don’t appear to have much gravitas in the online libraries so I’m intrigued it was presented.
No you haven't missed anything. I had the same experience. No links to original data. Suspicious. You cannot take seriously an article that does not link to a study that gives some figures that let you work out what the absolute risk reduction is. They always report relative risk. A relative risk of 17% could turn out to be nearly zilch.
I don't think there is any tenable anti Pharma or pro Pharma positions. You just have to be well informed and take a balanced view on individual decisions.
I owe a lot to Pharma that got me out of an emergency hole with Flecainide 10 yrs ago. However what I have read on statins over the years has not persuaded me. The medics tried hard to put me on them 20 yrs ago because my cholesterol was circa 6.5 but as the rest of me was fine, I declined. As a result of AF 10 yrs ago I had my arteries scanned and all clear.
My confidence in research has been shot to pieces over the Covid vaccine saga where my eyes have been opened as to who funds the majority of research that sees the light of day and which research (eg on Ivermectin) appears in the mainstream media and even so called respected medical journals. Every days a school day!
I am in 2 minds over statins. This research indicates a 17% reduced risk of a stroke for afibbers . Given this was an observational study and not an RCT that is not particularly significant. Anticoagulants reduce risk by more like 80%, so those are far more important. Nevertheless, statins do appear to reduce inflammation, so that is a plus. The jury remains out.
Hi
Food for thought.
If Afers are taking an anticoagulant how does research knoe that it is the statins keeping them from stroke!
Low dose statin is the latest.
Hopefully you dont get any side effects.
Everyone needs cholesterol.
They gave statins to a baby and baby died! Another a man after 3 years on statins couldn't walk.
cheri JOY. 74. (NZ)
Good points.
I would need to have a think if they’re recommended. I think that the ‘encouragement’ to take them must vary between GP practices, as they have never been suggested to me. My total cholesterol is a little over 5 as well, but with a good balance of HDL and it seems to be regarded as ‘good’.
It’s a government inducement- every time the GP has the conversation with you they can tick a box and get payment - it’s part of their NHS contract for payments, as vaccinations for anything other than COVID are, certain screenings etc.
I’ve noticed that on here, but wonder if it doesn’t happen north of the border.
You would have to check that out - my GP surgery were very open about the funding and because they need to claim for every penny to stay open - I oblige them every year having the conversation - then they can claim.
when i was first diagnosed with AF the gp put me on statins, the EP took me straight off them!
Many thanks for posting this link. I had been considering giving up taking statins, but in light of the evidence, I think it would be unwise.
Hi
Um
I recently read that low dose of statin is better for you.
The hospital are dishing out 80mg dose daily!!!!
Research has it that side effects are great muscle aches and pain. And one
man could not walk after 3 years of taking them.
I argue that 6.3 minus 1 = 5.3. Not a lot of difference to 5.
Another medical mag says no one can EVER measure cholesterol.
My carotid arteries were clear.
cheri. jOY. 74. (NZ)
My wife has been taking 20 for about 30 years with no ill effects. 80 mg...OMG , no wonder people are having ill effects
I do not agree with at all.
people take a lot of medication for all the old age comorbidities which allows them to live so long with acceptable quality of life. Listen to your providers and make your own decisions to take or not to take such or such medication. You will have to live with the consequences of your decisions. When I look at the number of bottles of medication on the kitchen table for all the comorbidities of old age , it is a lot. Without these medications people don’t live as long they do now. Back before the invention of penicillin people died young and since then you know the rest. During the pandemic total shut downs and now people live normally as possible, what changed in the between? You find your own answers.
youtu.be/-xCr3mvFCHMCheck this guy out,also wait til the end because he mentions a scotish Doctor thats wrote a book all about the real cause of heard disease
That would be The Clot Thickens - Malcom Kendrick - I can highly recommend, especially as I have osteoporosis.
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