Statins cause adverse side effects in the oral cavity

This study was published in Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral y Cirugia Bucal 2008 Feb 1;13(2):E98-101

Study title and authors:

Adverse side effects of statins in the oral cavity.

Pascual Cruz M, Chimenos Küstner E, García Vicente JA, Mezquiriz Ferrero X, Borrell Thio E, López López J.

Médico estomatólogo, ABS (Area Básica de Salud) Sant Roc Badalona, Facultad de Medicina UAB, Spain. 20673mpc@comb.es

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18223537

The objective of the study was to analyze the side effects of statins in the mouth cavity, and to analyze the symptoms after interruption of the treatment. The study included 26 patients aged 50-70 undergoing treatment with statins.

Patients were initially assessed for side effects of statins in the mouth cavity, statin treatment was then discontinued for two weeks and the patients response was observed.

The study found:
(a) Of those patients with dryness, 73.9% showed improvement after discontinuing statins for two weeks.
(b) Of those patients with itch, 86.7% showed improvement or had complete recovery after discontinuing statins for two weeks.
(c) Of those patients with bitterness, 92.8% had complete recovery after discontinuing statins for two weeks.
(d) Of those patients with a cough, 91.7% showed improvement after discontinuing statins for two weeks.
(e) Additionally, of those patients who had insomnia, 94.1% showed improvement after discontinuing statins for two weeks.

This study shows that there is a marked improvement of mouth cavity ailments after statin treatment is discontinued.

Low cholesterol levels are linked to rheumatoid arthritis

This study was published in Arthritis and Rheumatism 2001 Dec;44(12):2761-7

Study title and authors:

Elevated levels of small, low-density lipoprotein with high affinity for arterial matrix components in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: possible contribution of phospholipase A2 to this atherogenic profile.

Hurt-Camejo E, Paredes S, Masana L, Camejo G, Sartipy P, Rosengren B, Pedreno J, Vallve JC, Benito P, Wiklund O.

Göteborg University, Sweden. Eva.Hurt-Camejo@astrazeneca.com

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11762936

Hurt-Camejo notes that increased death rates and premature death due to cardiovascular disease are more common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with the general population.

The study investigated the association of cholesterol levels with rheumatoid arthritis. The study included 31 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 28 controls subjects. Average age of the study participants was 53 years.

The study found that rheumatoid arthritis patients (with their higher death rates) had 6.5% lower cholesterol levels than the control subjects.

Childhood obesity rates triple as saturated fat consumption declines and grain consumption soars: Can anyone join the dots?

This study was published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood 2000 Jul;83(1):18-24

Study title and authors:

US adolescent food intake trends from 1965 to 1996.
Cavadini C, Siega-Riz AM, Popkin BM.
Nestle Research Center, Nestec Ltd, Lausanne, Switzerland.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10868993

Chilhood obesity tripled from the 1960's to the 1990's. See figure 1 below.

FIGURE 1. Prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents, by age group --- United States, 1963--2008

The figure above shows the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents, by age group, in the United States during 1963-2008. In the United States, childhood obesity affects approximately 12.5 million children and teens (17% of that population). Changes in obesity prevalence from the 1960s show a rapid increase in the 1980s and 1990s, when obesity prevalence among children and teens tripled from nearly 5% to approximately 15%.

The aim of the study was to examine the changing trends in adolescent (11-18 year olds) food consumption in the United States.

The study found from 1965 to 1996 in adolescents:

(a) Actual total amount of food consumption DECREASED.
(b) Fat consumption decreased by 7%.
(c) Saturated fat consumption decreased by 3%.
(d) Carbohydrate consumption increased by 8%.
(e) Grain product consumption rose by 642% in boys.
(f) Grain product consumption rose by 512% in girls.
(g) Soft drinks consumption rose by 164% in boys.
(h) Soft drinks consumption rose by 116% in girls.

To recap: In a 30 year period obesity rates tripled in adolescents. Actual amounts of food consumption decreased, fat and saturated fat consumption decreased, carbohydrate consumption increased and grain consumption massively increased.

What is the official dietary guideline advice from the from the United States Department of Agriculture?

.........that our diets should emphasize grains and be low in saturated fat!!!

Can anyone join the dots?

Saturated fat may help to prevent osteoporosis

This study was published in Acta Paediatrica 1995 Apr;84(4):388-92

Study title and authors:

Dietary calcium, saturated fat, fiber and vitamin C as predictors of forearm cortical and trabecular bone mineral density in healthy children and adolescents.

Gunnes M, Lehmann EH.

Cecor AS, Haugesund, Norway.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7795347

The study investigated the effects of diet (including saturated fat) on bone mineral density of the forearm in 495 healthy children (8-11 years) and adolescents (11-17 years).

Low bone mineral density in the forearm is associated with an increase in the risk of osteoporosis. A study published in the British Journal of Rheumatology found that all women with a low bone mineral density in the forearm (less than 0.34 g/cm2) developed osteoporosis, whereas only 10% of women with a high bone mineral density in the forearm (above 0.419 g/cm2) had osteoporosis.

This study found that higher levels of saturated fat in both children and adolescents was associated with a higher bone mineral density.

The results of this study suggest that a diet high in saturated fat may help to lower the risk of osteoporosis and the author of the study Dr Magnar Gunnes concludes that dietary recommendations, (to lower saturated fat consumption), especially when aimed at young people, may have to be reconsidered.

Low cholesterol is an independent risk factor for developing gastric cancer

This study was published in the International Journal of Cancer 2008 Feb 15;122(4):909-14

 

Study title and authors:

Impact of serum total cholesterol on the incidence of gastric cancer in a population-based prospective study: the Hisayama study.

Asano K, Kubo M, Yonemoto K, Doi Y, Ninomiya T, Tanizaki Y, Arima H, Shirota T, Matsumoto T, Iida M, Kiyohara Y.

Department of Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. k-asano@intmed2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17957783

This study examined the association between cholesterol levels and the incidence of gastric cancer. The study included 2,604 subjects aged 40 years or older were followed for 14 years.

The study found:
(a) Men with the lowest cholesterol (under 4.42 mmol/L or 171 mg/dL) had a 78% increased risk of developing gastric cancer compared with men with the highest cholesterol (over 5.77 mmol/L or 223 mg/dL).
(b) Women with the lowest cholesterol (under 4.78 mmol/L or 184 mg/dL) had a 68% increased risk of developing gastric cancer compared with women with the highest cholesterol (over 6.26 mmol/L or 242 mg/dL).

The findings of the study suggest that low cholesterol is an independent risk factor for developing gastric cancer.

Low cholesterol levels are associated with death in patients admitted to hospital

This study was published in the Clinical Investigator 1994 Dec;72(12):939-43

Study title and authors:

The prognostic value of hypocholesterolemia in hospitalized patients.

Windler E, Ewers-Grabow U, Thiery J, Walli A, Seidel D, Greten H.

Medizinische Kernklinik und Poliklinik, Universität-Krankenhaus Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7711423

The study examined the relationship between cholesterol levels and death rates in patients admitted to hospital. The study included 85,463 patients and 6,543 healthy control subjects.

The study found:
(a) The average cholesterol levels of patients who died, 163 mg/dL (4.2 mmol/L), was significantly lower than that of those who survived 217.8 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L).
(b) The average cholesterol of surviving patients was similar to that of the 6,543 healthy control subjects.
(c) The death rates of patients with cholesterol levels below 100 mg/dL (2.5 mmol/L) was about tenfold higher than average.
(d) Patients whose cholesterol levels were under 45 mg/dL (1.1 mmol/L) did not survive.

The results of the study show that high cholesterol levels are associated with survival and low cholesterol levels are associated with death in patients admitted to hospital.

Eminent doctor says it is time for a full reappraisal of the cholesterol theory

This paper was published in World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics 2009;100:80-9

 

Study title and author:

Disappointing recent cholesterol-lowering drug trials: is it not time for a full reappraisal of the cholesterol theory?

de Lorgeril M.

Coeur et Nutrition, Université Joseph Fourier-Grenoble 1, CNRS, Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG, UMR 5525, Faculté de Médecine, Grenoble, France. michel.delorgeril@ujf-grenoble.fr

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19696530

Dr Michel de Lorgeril is internationally known for his work on cardiovascular disease. Dr de Lorgeril reviews the results from cholesterol-lowering drug trials.

Dr de Lorgeril examined the results of ten statin trials since 2005.

He found:
(a) In 2005 new clinical reseach regulations were introduced to try and stop biased results in clinical trials.
(b) Most of the statin trials before 2005 show positive health benefits with statin usage.
(c) Since 2005 nine of the ten statin trials provided negative health results.
(d) The one trial that gave positive results (JUPITER) was clinically inconsistent and probably biased.

With this information Dr de Lorgeril suggests:
(i) The positive trials published before 2005 should be urgently re-examined.
(ii) At a minimum, experts independent of industry and free of conflict of interest should be asked to carefully check all the raw data recorded in the datasheets and redo the statistical analyses.

Dr de Lorgeril concludes: "The next question would then be: is it not time for a full reappraisal of the cholesterol theory?"