LifeCare Chiropractic

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statins

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DIETARY ARGININE AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN – (03-28-05)

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Association between dietary arginine and C-reactive protein

We really can’t let information like this get out.  That would totally ruin the drug company’s hopes for the next blockbuster drug when they finally figure out how to lower CRP pharmaceutically.  Of course, the fact that managing insulin resistance, exercise and fish oils bring down CRP levels has not stopped them.

But, mark my words–the second it is confirmed that a drug lowers CRP levels (there are currently several trials of the potential for statins to lower CRP), there will be advertisements all over telling patients to have their CRP levels checked…  We saw the same push with irritable bowel syndrome once the new anti-motility drugs were released.

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GOOD DIET CHOICES FOR GOOD HEALTH – (05-08-05)

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Effect of Different Antilipidemic Agents and Diets on Mortality

Not that it should be a surprise that omega-3 fatty acids outperformed statins, but it’s nice to see it in black and white anyway.  Surprisingly, the dietary interventions did not show a very strong effect.  This may be more of a factor of the type of diet used.  The AHA step 1 diet is not all that great and I would never recommend this type of diet to a patient wanting to lower their lipid levels.

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WHAT’S THE AVERAGE PRIMARY CARE DOCS GIVE TO CHOLESTEROL PATIENTS? – (03-05-07)

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A Population-Based, Cross-Sectional Comparison of Lipid-Related Indexes for Symptoms of Atherosclerotic Disease

“In conclusion, these observations add to the published data suggesting that LDL cholesterol may not be the best target of lipid-lowering treatment strategies.” Wow. What’s the average primary care doc going to do? We’ve become so blinded to checking LDL and total cholesterol that we haven’t seemed to notice that other markers do a much better job of predicting heart disease then cholesterol.

I can honestly tell you that I’ve had patients come in being aggressively put on statins for a cholesterol level under 230 that would’ve responded to something as simple as a handul of almonds.

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A STUDY ON VIT E, EXERCISE, STRESS MANAGEMENT AND “HEALTHY” DIET – (03-17-08)

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Combined Effect of Low-Risk Dietary and Lifestyle Behaviors in Primary Prevention of Myocardial Infarction in Women

One of the things that consistently irritates me about studies on “natural” approaches is that they frequently look at single interventions. A study on Vit E. A study on exercise. A study on stress management. A study on a “healthy” diet. While these interventions usually fair well, this is NEVER the approach from a functional medicine standpoint. Functional medicine involves looking at all aspects of a patient’s lifestyle.

So what happens when you do address more than one factor? How about a staggering 92% reduction in heart attacks in women? And the dietary recommendations, while good, are non-specific. This is the elimination of heart disease. So why, after 6 months, did this study not get picked up by the mainstream press when statins are all over with a mere 4% or so reduction (at the tune of billions of dollars per year)??

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INCREASED EXPOSURE TO STATINS IN PATIENTS DEVELOPING CHRONIC MUSCLE DISEASES – (11-24-08)

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Increased exposure to statins in patients developing chronic muscle diseases: a 2-year retrospective study

While we’re on the topic of well accepted by the public but poorly represented in the literature we need to bring up the statin class of drugs. Despite the fact that every (I’m generalizing here…) primary care doctor in this country feels that “prevention” of heart disease means using a statin drug, the research on its efficacy for primary prevention of CVD is almost nil. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the research on the side effects slowly continues to mount.

This study looks at patients who have been diagnosed with chronic muscle disease (polymyositis, dermatomyositis, etc..) and found that these patients had a much, much higher chance of having had exposure to statins (2.73 times the risk), and this risk went up even higher when these patients also had used proton pump inhibitors for control of stomach acid production.

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USE OF STATINS INCREASES CIRCULATING LEVELS OF VIT E (02-23-09)

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Early decrease of oxidative stress by atorvastatin in hypercholesterolaemic patients: effect on circulating vitamin E

Homage to the use of statins for preventing heart disease continues. But research suggests that their protective effect (as questionable as that is) comes not from their ability to lower cholesterol, but likely from some type of antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effect.

This study finds that the use of statins increases circulating levels of Vit E, hinting that statins may have some type of antioxidant effects. However, this can be looked at another way. What if the use of statins increases Vit E levels, and this increase in Vit E levels is one of the ways that the risk of heart disease is lowered? Wouldn’t that be a hoot? The pharmaceutical companies would hate to have their $100 / month drug replaced with $10 of Vit E.

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LOW SERUM LEVELS OF 25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D PREDICT FATAL CANCER (02-23-09)

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Low Serum Levels of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Predict Fatal Cancer in Patients Referred to Coronary Angiography

You almost have to laugh at the direness of studies like this. Here is patient A with heart disease going in for a cardiac procedure that really isn’t going to change their long term risk of needing an open heart surgery and not having the lifestyle factors addressed that contributed to the heart disease. But they will be put on statins for “prevention.”

So, this alone is enough to ruin your day. Then, to know that, in those with the lowest serum levels of 25-OH Vitamin D, there was a much greater risk of dying from cancer. Just don’t let the life insurance underwriters get a hold of this study.

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LINK BETWEEN CANCER AND STATINS – (05-18-09)

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Cancer and Statins

I’m really not making this stuff up. Seemingly the entire medical profession has been duped into believing this class of drugs has a profound impact on CVD, upwards of 50% reduction in events (this is true, lowering the rates from 2% to 1% after 3 yrs of use…). I even had one memorable patient with a healthy lifestyle and good lipids whose PCP put him on Lipitor for “prevention.”

In my book, “prevention” does not carry the potential for increased rates of cancer, muscle pain or death. The link with cancer is that statins inhibit an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, lowering the production of a compound called mevonalate, but ONLY in the liver. This liver supression leads to an increased production in non-hepatic tissues, conferring an elevated risk of cancer. Prevention?

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