Posted on June 14, 2012

Statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that is they act by blocking the enzyme in your liver that is responsible for making cholesterol. One in four Americans are now taking a statin drug despite the fact that there are over 900 studies proving their adverse effects, which run the gamut from muscle and memory problems, to an increased risk of cancer and diabetes. Statins deplete your body of CoQ10, which can have devastating results. If you take statin drugs without taking CoQ10, (Ubiquinol is the recommended form if you’re over the age of 25) your health is at serious risk. Statins also impair the function of all sterols, including vitamin D, all your sex hormones, cortisone and the proteins which are involved in keeping the membranes inside your cells healthy.

Odds are greater than 100 to 1 that if you’re taking a statin, you don’t really need it. The ONLY subgroup that might benefit are those born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, as this condition makes them resistant to traditional measures of normalizing cholesterol. Here are some of the statins being prescribed: Lipitor, Crestor Advicor Mevacor Simcor Lescol Altoprev Caduet Zocor Vytorin and Pravachol.

For starters, reported side effects include:

-Muscle problems

--polyneuropathy (nerve damage in the hands and feet)

--rhabdomyolysis (a serious degenerative muscle tissue condition)

-Anemia

-Acidosis

-Sexual dysfunction

-Pancreas or liver dysfunction, including a potential increase in liver enzymes

-Memory loss

Real Risks  Muscle problems are the best known of statin drugs’ adverse side effects, but cognitive problems and memory loss are also widely reported. A spectrum of other problems, ranging from blood glucose elevations, tendon problems, immune depression and even an increased risk for Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Statins have been shown to increase your risk of diabetes through several different mechanisms. The most important one is that they increase insulin resistance, which contributes to chronic inflammation in your body, and inflammation is the hallmark of most diseases. In fact, increased insulin resistance can lead to heart disease, which ironically, is the primary reason for taking cholesterol-reducers in the first place.

Skewed Test Results It now appears that some of the studies that were done by the drug companies to demonstrate a decreased risk for stroke or heart disease, actually had a less favorable outcome than reported. According to a report by ABC News, “Major discrepancies exists between the significant reductions in nonfatal stroke and heart attacks reported in the JUPITER trial and what has been found in other research…” ‘The JUPITER data set appears biased,’ [the researchers] wrote in conclusion.

In August 2001, Bayer AG, the maker of Baycol (cerivastatin), a popular cholesterol-lowering drug used by about 700,000 Americans, pulled the medicine off the market after 31 people died from severe muscle breakdown, a well-recognized side effect of cholesterol-lowering drugs.  Related articles follow:   Statins: Is the Danger in the Dose?

Here is the hard data on Baycol-associated adverse reactions. If you or someone you know is taking one of the statin cholesterol-lowering drugs, this is a “must-read” article by Jay Cohen, MD to help you understand the potential dangers that this exposes you to.  Baycol Pulled From Market as Numerous Deaths Linked to It

Children the next Target  Now in a bold attempt to increase profits before the patent runs out, Pfizer has introduced a chewable kid-friendly version of Lipitor. Its US patent for Lipitor expired in November 2011, and now is seeking to boost sales of the drug, making children the new target market, and the conventional medical establishment is more than happy to oblige. Researchers and many doctors are now calling for universal school screening of children to check for high cholesterol, to find those “in need of treatment.” In addition, older siblings, parents and other family members might be prompted to get screened as well, the researchers say, which would uncover additional, previously undiagnosed adults in need of the drug. This is clearly NOT the way to improve public health. On the contrary, it could produce a new, massive wave of extremely dire health consequences in just a few years time. Something far less harmful and as simple as changing the food children are served in school would produce a far better impact on health. But then there’s no real money in food or diets.

So in closing, if you or someone you love is taking a statin, I would recommend stopping it immediately, unless you have been diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia. But either way, please do the research so that you can make a more informed decision as to if this drug is really helping, or harming you, and is it really worth the risk?