Review finds that low cholesterol levels are linked to higher rates of early death, suicide, aggressive and violent behaviour, personality disorders, depression and dementia

This paper was published in Revista de Neurologia 2009 Mar 1-15;48(5):261-4

 

Study title and authors:

Relation between cholesterol levels and neuropsychiatric disorders

Martínez-Carpio PA, Barba J, Bedoya-Del Campillo A.

Centro Penitenciario de Jóvenes de Barcelona, Generalitat de Catalunya, Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, España. pmc@investilaser.com

 

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19263395

The researchers conducted a systematic study of the literature that addressed the relationship between low cholesterol levels and neuropsychiatric disorders.

They found that low cholesterol levels are associated and related to different neuropsychiatric disorders. Lowered cholesterol levels seem likely to be linked to higher rates of early death, suicide, aggressive and violent behaviour, personality disorders, and possibly depression, dementia and penal confinement among young males.

Statin use is associated with an 18% increased risk of diabetes

This study was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2013 Apr;75(4):1118-24

 

Study title and authors:

Statins and risk of treated incident diabetes in a primary care population.

Zaharan NL, Williams D, Bennett K.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22845189

The aims of this study were to:
(i) Examine the incidence of new onset diabetes in patients treated with different types of statins. 
(ii) Examine the relationship between the duration and dose of statins and the subsequent development of new onset diabetes.

The study included 1,235,671 individuals who were followed for eight years.

The study found:
(a) Statin use was associated with an 18% increased risk of new onset diabetes.
(b) There was a statistically significant overall dose and duration effect increase in new onset diabetes for all statins, excepting fluvastatin, which only demonstrated a duration effect.

The researchers concluded: "An increased risk of new onset treated diabetes was found in those treated with statins showing significant duration and dose effect".

Walking is associated with a reduced risk of death from pneumonia

This study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology 2007 Nov;17(6):194-202

 

Study title and authors:

Risk and protective factors related to mortality from pneumonia among middleaged and elderly community residents: the JACC Study.

Inoue Y, Koizumi A, Wada Y, Iso H, Watanabe Y, Date C, Yamamoto A, Kikuchi S, Inaba Y, Toyoshima H, Tamakoshi A.

Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18094518

The study investigated various factors related to the death rate from pneumonia. The study included 110,792 individuals (aged 40-79 years) who were followed for 15 years.

Regarding walking, the study found:
(a) Those who walked less than 1/2 hour per day had a 30% increased risk of death from pneumonia compared to those who walked 1/2 hour  per day.
(b) Those who walked more than one hour per day had a 30% decreased risk of death from pneumonia compared to those who walked 1/2 hour per day.

The results from the study show that an increase in walking time is associated with a reduced risk of death from pneumonia.

Statins linked with mitochondrial dysfunction

This study was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 1996 Sep;42(3):333-7

Study title and authors:
Lipid-lowering drugs and mitochondrial function: effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors on serum ubiquinone and blood lactate/pyruvate ratio.

De Pinieux G, Chariot P, Ammi-Saïd M, Louarn F, Lejonc JL, Astier A, Jacotot B, Gherardi R.
Groupe de Recherche en Pathologie Neuromusculaire (ER 269), Faculté de Médecine de Créteil, Hôpital Henri Mondor, France.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8877024

Coenzyme Q10 is a substance that is found in almost every cell in the body and helps convert food into energy by the mitochondrial respiratory chain. It may also help with heart-related conditions, because it can improve energy production in cells, prevent blood clot formation, and act as an antioxidant.

Low levels of coenzyme Q10 may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a mechanism behind many metabolic, age-related, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases or health conditions such as: aging, age-related macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, atherosclerosis, autism, bipolar disorder, cancer, cataracts, chronic fatigue, endothelial dysfunction, diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy, endothelial dysfunction, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, hearing loss, heart failure, Huntington’s disease, hypertension, hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, major depressive disorder, male infertility, migraine, multiple sclerosis, myopathy (cardio and skeletal), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, panic disorder, Parkinson’s disease, psychosis, schizophrenia, sleep apnea, social phobia, stroke and type 2 diabetes. 

Mitochondrial cytopathies represent a group of multisystem disorders which affect the muscle and nervous systems see here.

Mitochondrial myopathies are a group of neuromuscular diseases caused by damage to the mitochondria. Nerve cells in the brain and muscles require a great deal of energy, and are particularly damaged when mitochondrial dysfunction occurs. Some of the more common mitochondrial myopathies include Kearns-Sayre syndrome, myoclonus epilepsy with ragged-red fibers, and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes. The symptoms of mitochondrial myopathies include muscle weakness or exercise intolerance, heart failure or rhythm disturbances, dementia, movement disorders, stroke-like episodes, deafness, blindness, droopy eyelids, limited mobility of the eyes, vomiting, and seizures.

Elevated lactate/pyruvate ratios are associated with mitochondrial cytopathies and mitochondrial myopathies.

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of cholesterol lowering drugs on coenzyme Q10 levels and on mitochondrial function assessed by the blood lactate/pyruvate ratio. This study included 80 patients, some of whom were treated with statins and 20 healthy control subjects.

The study found:
(a) Coenzyme Q10 levels were lower in statin-treated patients than in untreated patients.
(b) Lactate/pyruvate ratios were significantly higher in patients treated by statins than in untreated patients or healthy control subjects.

The results from the study show that statins are associated with low levels of coenzyme Q10 and a high blood blood lactate/pyruvate ratio which are linked with mitochondrial dysfunction.

High levels of HDL cholesterol associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer

This study was published in Cancer Causes and Control 2013 Mar 16

 

Study title and authors:

Metabolic factors and breast cancer risk in Korean women.

Noh HM, Song YM, Park JH, Kim BK, Choi YH.

Department of Family Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Irwon-ro 81, Gangnamgu, Seoul, 135-710, South Korea.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23504150

This study evaluated the association between various factors and breast cancer. The study included 270 women with breast cancer and 540 women free from breast cancer.

Regarding high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, the study found that women with HDL cholesterol levels below 1.29 mmol/L (50 mg/dL) had a 10% increased risk of breast cancer compared to women with HDL cholesterol levels above 1.29 mmol/L (50 mg/dL).

The most effective dietary way to raise to raise HDL cholesterol is to consume a diet rich in saturated fat see here, here and here.

Statins increase the risk of diabetes

This study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2010 Mar 23;55(12):1209-16

 

Study title and authors:

Atorvastatin causes insulin resistance and increases ambient glycemia in hypercholesterolemic patients.

Koh KK, Quon MJ, Han SH, Lee Y, Kim SJ, Shin EK.

Department of Cardiology, Gachon University, Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea. kwangk@gilhospital.com

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20298928

This study investigated the association between statins and diabetes risk. The study was a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study that was conducted in 44 patients taking placebo and in 42, 44, 43, and 40 patients given daily atorvastatin 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg, respectively, during a two-month treatment period.

The study found:
(a) Atorvastatin at 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg daily significantly increased fasting insulin levels by 25%, 42%, 31%, and 45%, respectively.
(b) Atorvastatin at 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg daily significantly increased glycated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c levels) by 2%, 5%, 5%, and 5%, respectively.
(c) Atorvastatin at 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg daily decreased insulin sensitivity by 1%, 3%, 3%, and 4%, respectively.

Stain treatment increased fasting insulin levels, increased glycated hemoglobin levels and decreased insulin sensitivity which all indicate an increased risk of diabetes.

High cholesterol levels decrease the risk of of a brain hemorrhage

This study was published in Stroke 2013 Mar 21

 

Study title and authors:

Risk of Rupture of an Intracranial Aneurysm Based on Patient Characteristics: A Case-Control Study.

Vlak MH, Rinkel GJ, Greebe P, Algra A.

From the Utrecht Stroke Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience and Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands; and Department of Neurology, Slotervaart Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23520239

This study investigated lifestyle and personal characteristics as risk factors for the rupture of brain aneurysms. (An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel that's caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall). The study included 250 patients with a rupured brain aneurysm and 206 patients with an unruptured brain aneurysm.

Regarding cholesterol levels, the study found that those with high cholesterol levels had a 60% decreased risk of of a ruptured brain aneurysm.