Statins can cause heart disease, say experts

[SmallBlueThing]

As reported in this weekend's Sunday Express: express.co.uk/news/uk/63316...

Old-ish news?: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/256...

[Clutter]

Nice one! The article debunks statins and the early trials about them.

[Marz]

drmalcolmkendrick.org/2015/...

Thank you for posting

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

SmallBlueThing,

The full paper is available here:

tandfonline.com/doi/full/10...

This is the Abstract, with my own emphases added:

Abstract

In contrast to the current belief that cholesterol reduction with statins decreases atherosclerosis, we present a perspective that statins may be causative in coronary artery calcification and can function as mitochondrial toxins that impair muscle function in the heart and blood vessels through the depletion of coenzyme Q10 and ‘heme A’, and thereby ATP generation. Statins inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2, the cofactor for matrix Gla-protein activation, which in turn protects arteries from calcification. Statins inhibit the biosynthesis of selenium containing proteins, one of which is glutathione peroxidase serving to suppress peroxidative stress. An impairment of selenoprotein biosynthesis may be a factor in congestive heart failure, reminiscent of the dilated cardiomyopathies seen with selenium deficiency. Thus, the epidemic of heart failure and atherosclerosis that plagues the modern world may paradoxically be aggravated by the pervasive use of statin drugs. We propose that current statin treatment guidelines be critically reevaluated.

Heme A seems to be a very complex substance with numerous functions including handling of copper and other metals.

Do statins affect not only glutathione peroxidase production but also the deiodinase family?

I wonder if any other studies did not rigorously exclude those taking statins? As the prevalence of statin-taking rose, it must have become ever more difficult to find subjects who did not take them. Much as it would be difficult to perform clinical trials which required patients who do not ever take paracetamol.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Old news, if you read the right news