World of Health

Millions of people have been able to watch their cholesterol fall with help from statin drugs, but some researchers are advising doctors to be aware of potential side effects, even though the drugs are great for preventing strokes and heart attacks.

Every year doctors write about 40m NHS prescriptions for statins, but although they are seen as relatively safe drugs, for some people they can cause aching or weak muscles and in some cases muscle tissue will begin to break down.

Due to the fact that statins are a drug that needs to be taken for the long term researchers indicated that it is very important that doctors use them in a way that allows for maximum benefits but minimal side effects.  In order to define what this manner is, researchers studied two million people out of which 200,000 were on statins.

The study showed without a doubt that the drugs are effective at preventing cardiovascular disease, but also that there are side effects with about one out of 10,000 people prescribed the drug exhibiting symptoms of the side effects.

Additionally, the numbers could increase to 110 out of 10,000 men and 39 out of 10,000 women may experience muscle weakness after being on statins for five or more years.

In addition, statins were linked to a higher risk of cataracts as well as kidney and liver problems the latter of which was linked to higher doses of a statin.

Unintentionally, the study also showed that those who used statins had a lowered risk of developing cancer of the throat although this may be because those on a statin tend to reduce the amount of alcohol they intake.

Statins are found in large amounts in some mushrooms.

A report published in The Lancet medical journal this month indicates that triglycerides may be a contributing factor in the incidence of heart disease.  While this is not a new concept, the study confirmed that an increased risk factor is related to the apolipoprotein A5 gene, which determines the level of triglycerides in the blood.

People with extra copies of this gene had as much as a 40% higher risk of developing heart disease, according to researchers’ calculations.  The findings were based on data from more than 300,000 participants in 101 different tests.

Cholesterol and triglycerides are two separate forms of fat.  The body uses cholesterol to build cells and it uses triglycerides to provide energy.  In recent years the medical profession has concentrated on reducing levels of ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol and increasing those of ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol, but it seems that we need to be concerned about levels of triglycerides also.

Triglycerides are produced by the liver and also derived from certain foods.  The same foods that contribute to LDL cholesterol also raise the level of triglycerides.

Nadeem Sarwar, lead researcher in this study, emphasized the need for more extensive and specific research.  Other medical professionals agree that further testing is required before any definitive correlation can be made.

However, there is general agreement that the information presented by Sarwar and his team, though far from definitive, will certainly lead to more research to determine whether lowering triglycerides can help prevent heart disease, and to what degree.  In the meantime, exercise and a healthy diet are still the best means of preventing or at least mitigating the problem.