Negativity about statins seems to continue with a number of internet doctors(?) and their followers. Some good news though. New research shows that they cause neither cognitive decline or memory loss.
Statins Do Not Cause Cognitive Decline - British Heart Fou...
Statins Do Not Cause Cognitive Decline
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Heythrop51
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MichaelJHHeart Star
Interesting! Think it is about the second or third most reported claim made against statins. Thank you for posting.
Where did this "research" come from who funded it and what are their claimed negative side effects with statins. I think a simple denial is not good enough for me.
If you read the link that Heythrop51 helpfully provided you will be able to discover that this research was carried by a team from Australia funded by the Australian government.
It was published in the American Journal of Carfiology a peer reviewed professional journal.
I suggest you read the article yourself and this may provide you with some further information.
It was set out to disprove something already found and agreed by a number of experts who had access to a number of previous studies. So this is one positive and rather odd study, versus a number of negative ones. Meaning that it is not at all conclusive in itself, it also has the appearance of dubunking the whole case of the side effects associated with statins.
Fact is the statin industry is one of the most profiatble and therefor most powerful and influential in the world, with tens of millions of users and IMO that taints any such "good news" reports witha vestered interest brush.
I take statins following my HA/stenting as my cardiologist tells me I must, but I hate having to do so, I understand they are necessary in my case. Fortunately I am on a low dose and will have to live with that.
The objective of the study was given as
' This study sought to examine the association between statin use and changes in memory and global cognition in the elderly population over 6 years and brain volumes over 2 years. Interactions between statin use and known dementia risk factors were examined.'
The subject of the posting was that it bebunked claims from other experts on the internet "and their followers". It was just one rather odd study, one study is not proof, especially if it condradicts a number of others.
All research has an important role to play in helping us make an informed choice about our care.
The poster I feel was giving us all the opportunity to read the research and form our own view.
I prefer to rely on peer reviewed evidence rather than a person whose opinion leads to being able to profit from their book sales.
That is grossly unfair to say that all these people just have an "opinion" and are using it merely to flog a few books. The statin industry are making $billions out of this oversubscibed drug and this is an very odd and rather "helpful" report for them.
But sure, you have every right to you own beliefs....
Of course drugs companies make profits. Whilst some goes to shareholders billions also goes to research and trials without which new drugs would not be developed! I have seen statements that certain diets reverse atherosclerosis but never any peer reviewed evidence. Your decision whether you take them or not. I will as I am keen to maintain my quadruple bypass.
So why did you not read the article before posting before making your points! You then argue with a forum member putting Internet experts(!) ahead of peer reviewed research! I won't say anymore or I will be deleted!
Because I knew where the funding had come from. Plus it was another one of these debunking reports made against a large number of medical experts with one study. When I read the report it was exacty as I thought. This is my last posting on this subject. You believe what you want to and I will do the same, no worries.
in reply to Khonkaen
It was government funded. You are happy to take statins but try to put others off doing so. What does that say?
Khonkaen in reply to
Drug companies have very powerful lobbyists. I am not trying to put anyone off statins who, like me, need them, but millions are taking them who don't.
in reply to Khonkaen
How do you know they do not? Where do you get that information from?
He read it on the Internet!
Any peer reviewed research?
No these are all just armchair doctors, I can see that there is a small group on this forum not interested in balance.
Medical research has profoundly brought a great deal of benefit to many people by improving the length and quality of their lives.
I do not consider looking to robust scientific studies published in peer reviewed journals to help provide the evidence my Cardiologist and I need to help make decisions about my care as being unbalanced.
So instead we should put our faith in people like Kendall and Fung who make YouTube videos and sell books making profits like pharmaceuticals do!
What does that have to do with this. The origianl post was about one single report against a number of others and these others were carried out by professionals who put their names to them.
1. Do you not this that these powerful drug companies have the worlds very best lawyers and would sue these people if the made false accusations against their products?
2. These powerful drug companies also have highly influential people lobbying governments to influence these reports.
3. This was one report with a favourable result, maybe there were others that were unfavourable that they didn't use? It is unlikely that all the world's governments would commssion only one report. Indeed it was an Australian research group report pulished in a US journal, why didn't they publish one of their own? Perhaps they couldn't find one.
I quoted them because Kendal is the No 1 statin denier and despite taking them yourself seem very anti- statin, and Fung goes against conventional wisdom advising a diet high in fats!
As i said in another post i am really tired of the doctors and those in the public going after those of us who have suffered horrible side effects even on low dosage statins. Before i even read the reviews, research and specialists opinions reporting on the negative sides of statins i suffered from horrible muscle pain, severe depression, trouble putting sentences together( hence my memory) plus nasty diarhea. I tried Crestor and Lipitor, Crestor three times as i was pressured into believing how neccesary they were. Thank you Khonkaen for speaking truthfully even amongst all these judges.
Thanks for that . For years my cholesterol , blood pressure, fitness and weight levels were fine. I tried statins in hospital after bypass and had dreadful reactions because I was on the loo all day. So what would happen if I took statins . Do I need even lower cholesterol ? My sister was on them for years and had dreadful reactions. Every week she would ring me with a new pain somewhere . Her mental health definitely declined . She has been off them for sometime and like me only takes aspirin and she hasn’t had a new heart attack. This drug needs a lot more research. I eat Benacol and really watch my diet. I have the same healthy cholesterol result as my friend who takes statins. Odd isn’t it
MilkfairyHeart Star
Thanks for posting. Very helpful to have a link to the original publication of the research too
Hi all, interesting research but looking further
acc.org/latest-in-cardiolog...
There were 1,037 subjects included in the analyses. The vast majority (98%) were Caucasian and the mean education was 11.8 years. Forty-five percent of patients had incomplete cognitive testing data. Statin users comprised most of the cohort (68% with continuous statin use), although 395 patients had never used a statin. The mean duration of statin use was 9.1 years. When compared with subjects who had not used statins, statin users had a higher prevalence of vascular risk factors, lower total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein values, but higher triglycerides and fasting glucose values.
Statin users had higher baseline performance on tests of memory and global cognition when compared to subjects who did not use statins, but the rate of decline was not significantly different between to the two cohorts. Among statin users, there were no differences between those taking atorvastatin versus simvastatin versus pravastatin. In the 99 subjects who started a statin during the study period, the decline in memory associated with aging was attenuated. Statin use was also associated with a decrease in the rate of memory decline in patients with heart disease and the ApoE4 allele. Statin use was not associated with differences in brain volume measures.
So - 45% of the patients had incomplete data (I'm guessing that these were somewhat due to death during the almost 10 year study) and are the researchers actually suggesting that taking statins improves brain function - I'd love to see a mechanism for that 
Very interesting indeed - I'm looking forward to the mechanism imvolved in the attenuation of cognitive decline by statins. It is also interesting that there was no difference what statin is taken - Atorvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin are lipophilic, whereas pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and fluvastatin are more hydrophilic - the former can cross the blood brain barrier, the latter with great difficulty - AFAIK .
Interesting.
Richard
Love the term Internet doctors 😂
in reply to Lezzers
Indeed. People are happy to go bounding after supplements etc which have no, or little, research done on them and then try to trash any research on medications that does not fit into their preconceived views. Makes you wonder why I bother doing research!
scotsrish in reply to
Actually there are thousands of years behind herbal remedies and chinese medicines to begin with. Funny how many of these herbs with all their knowledge are quite often the begining of your next drug companies discovery over and over.
Sorry Richard that was for you too! I got my Thread replies muddled up!
It’s funny how this subject goes on and on. Yet the original statin studies have still not been released to be independently peer reviewed. Still waiting for government directive to make the manufactures release the data. I think it’ll only happen once there is a new magic pill to replace the statin 🙄
Just wondering do you take a statin?
No, not till those studies can be independently reviewed 🙂
Do you have a heart condition? No mention in your profile.
I have lots of blockages all over unfortunately, not sure why my profile is relevant though
Sometimes people put in something like triple bypass, stents, HA in 19xx/20yy.
So what do you to stabilise them and prevent them worsening? And what is your GP 's view?
I take Vit K2 to make sure calcium stays in my bones not my arteries, and various other things which I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, all with the blessing of my GP. She says she has to advise me to take them because she has to follow NICE guidelines. She wouldn’t comment when I asked her if she would take them though. There is still no evidence that statins do actually stabilise plaque or I’d be first in the line for them! All studies say is they “ might” stabilise it by calcification methods, yet calcification is what we are all trying to avoid 😳🤔.
Apologies for late reply as I’ve been looking after my mother whose weight loss I’ve posted about wasn’t because of her heart failure, it was because she has terminal brain cancer.
Sorry to hear about your mother - thoughts are with you and your family.
Slightly puzzled by the K2 as neighbour was prescribed Vitamin D with calcium supplement to try and halt/reverse osteoporosis.
I know a cardiologist who takes stains because he feels he is in the higher risk category.
Thank you Michael.
It’s interesting you saying that as my brother has osteoporosis plus heart and other vascular issues so GP gave him calcium, Vit D and statins, 6 years later his scan showed the osteoporosis has spread massively and his heart calcium score is huge! GP has now said to stop statins ( as there is evidence that they block Vit K2 from your body ) immediately and to take Vit K2 mk7 as that will push the calcium into his bones and stop laying it down in his arteries.
I’m lucky enough to talk to a few cardiologists , interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons. Some say take statins, some say don’t take them but adjust your lifestyle. Who knows which of them is right.
in reply to Adaboo
Hi Adaboo, sorry to hear about you Mum. I’m taking a PCSK9 inhibitors. Have the cardiologists said anything about them, whether there good or not ?
Adaboo in reply to
Hi Deano, there are some who believe that cholesterol isn’t the cause of heart/ vascular disease at all, it’s inflammation, they also think we need cholesterol and that’s why our bodies make it. Not everyone with high cholesterol have problems and many with low cholesterol have heart attacks.
Others believe we must keep it as low as possible and take statins or inhibitors.
It’s very hard to make our own decisions, but that’s what we all have to do.
I wish I could get a definitive answer too.
Thank you.
Did anyone view London Live Trust me I'm a Doctor on 21/11/2019 at about 9 am. A doctor reviews health matters etc. Just viewed it by chance and only for the 1st 10 minutes as I had to go out. He talked about research by a Scottish university that analyses urine and the proteins in it to predict heart problems. to cut a long story short they came to the conclusion that if 20 ml of Olive Oil is taken daily it reduces your risk of a heart attack. Does not have to be EV any olive oil was ok.
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