Are we done we these yet? Statins deplete everything you want AND likely contribute to heart disease
CoQ10, vitamin K2, active selenium, testosterone and vitamin D: Essential compounds depleted by statins.
A new and compelling paper released this year suggests that the myriad cholesterol-associated compounds inhibited by statins affect far more nutrients than simply CoQ10. And the authors propose that the fallout of such inhibition includes INCREASED risk of atherogenesis and heart failure, diabetes, cancer, peripheral and central nervous disorders. We also know that statins lower total and free testosterone, are demonstrated to be mitochondrial toxins, and are likely immunosuppressive.
I’ve been routing around in the literature for evidence around statin-induced vitamin D depletion for years now, as we know UV vitamin D synthesis requires the cholesterol-produced compound isoprene. Deficiency makes sense. The authors in the above paper do reference depletion of isoprenes, but not in relation to D (they were looking at synthesis of K2.) However, a 2010 paper did demonstrate that statin-induced myalgias resolved with D supplementation in D-deficient individuals. And a cursory PubMed search conducted by me just today showed that those with chronic kidney disease on statins had lower vitamin D levels.
Incidentally, isoprenes are also needed for vitamin A, testosterone and estrogen synthesis, among other hormones.
Folks, I heartily agree with the conclusions drawn b Okuyama, et al, that informed consent is essential if statins are to be prescribed. As the authors state, informed consent should include:
Pharmacological and biochemical studies reveal the mechanisms of statins to stimulate atherogenesis and heart failure, and some clinical studies support this interpretation.
Statins are contraindicated in diabetics as statin administration did not prevent diabetics from CHD (ASPEN [55] and 4D study [56]), and statins worsen diabetic control [7]. Detailed mechanism of statin effects in diabetes has been published [7,19].
‘Informed consent’ of statins should include increased coronary artery disease, heart failure, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity and central and peripheral nervous disorders besides the known adverse effects.
There have been several clinical papers published in which the abstracts are not consistent with the data in the text.