Men taking statins have an 11% increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer

This study was published in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases 2013 Apr 9

Study title and authors:
Statin use and risk of prostate cancer and high-grade prostate cancer: results from the REDUCE study.

Freedland SJ, Hamilton RJ, Gerber L, Banez LL, Moreira DM, Andriole GL, Rittmaster RS.
Surgery Section, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23567655

This study examined the association between statins and prostate cancer and low-grade and high-grade prostate cancer. The study included 6,729 men, aged 50-75 years, who were followed for four years. (low-grade cancer is likely to develop more slowly than high-grade cancer).

The study found:
(a) Men taking statins had a 5% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.
(b) Men taking statins had a 3% increased risk of low-grade prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.
(c) Men taking statins had an 11% increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.

Men taking statins developed prostate cancer more frequently than men not taking statins. 

L-carnitine reduces the risk of death by 27% in heart attack victims

This paper was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2013 Apr 15. pii: S0025-6196(13)00127-4

 

Study title and authors:

L-Carnitine in the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Dinicolantonio JJ, Lavie CJ, Fares H, Menezes AR, O'Keefe JH.

Wegmans Pharmacy, Ithaca, NY. Electronic address: jjdinicol@gmail.com.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23597877

This paper evaluated the effects of L-carnitine compared with placebo or control subjects on heart health and death rates in patients who had had a heart attack. The paper was a  meta-analysis of 13 controlled trials which included 3,629 subjects.

The analysis found:
(a) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 27% reduction in all-cause death rates.
(b) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 65% reduction in ventricular arrhythmias (life threatening abnormal rapid heart rhythms).
(c) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 40% reduction in the development of angina.
(d) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 15% reduction in heart failure.
(e) Compared with placebo or control subjects, L-carnitine was associated with a 22% reduction in myocardial reinfarction (recurrence of heart attack).

This study reveals that L-carnitine is associated with a reduction in death rates in heart attack victims.

The richest food sources of L-carnitine are beef, lamb and pork (beef contains 81 mg per serving). Foods of plant origin have little or no L-carnitine, (avocados are one of the highest at 2 mg per serving).

Long-term statin users have a 21% increased risk of bladder cancer compared to non-users

This paper was published in Cancer Causes and Control 2013 Apr;24(4):769-76

 

Study title and authors:

Statin use and risk of bladder cancer: a meta-analysis.

Zhang XL, Geng J, Zhang XP, Peng B, Che JP, Yan Y, Wang GC, Xia SQ, Wu Y, Zheng JH.

Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, 301 Yanchang Road, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23361339

This paper analysed the scientific data between January 1966 and October 2012 to quantify the association between statin use and risk of bladder cancer. A total of 13 studies contributed to the analysis.

The paper found:
(a) Statin users had a 7% increased risk of bladder cancer compared to non-users.
(b) Long-term statin users had a 21% increased risk of bladder cancer compared to non-users.

The data from the analysis shows that statins users have more bladder cancer than non-users.

A carnivorous diet can help to suppress aging

This study was published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Science 2006 May;1067:369-74

 

Study title and authors:

Would carnosine or a carnivorous diet help suppress aging and associated pathologies?

Hipkiss AR.

Centre for Experimental Therapeutics, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts' and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK. alanandjill@lineone.net

 

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16804013

The scientist Alan Hipkiss, from the William Harvey Research Institute in London, reviewed the scientific evidence regarding the question: "Would carnosine or a carnivorous diet help suppress aging and associated pathologies"?

Hipkiss found:
(a) Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) is found exclusively in food of animal origin.
(b) Carnosine has the potential to inhibit glycation, generation of advanced glycosylation end-products (AGEs), and formation of protein carbonyl groups which play important roles in causing aging, diabetes, its secondary complications, and neurodegenerative conditions.
(c) Carnivorous diets could be beneficial because of their carnosine content, as carnosine has been shown to suppress some diabetic complications.
(d) Carnosine may help to prevent neurodegeneration.

This review finds that carnosine or a carnivorous diet can help to suppress aging and associated pathologies.

The best food sources of carnosine include beef, poultry and pork. Carnosine is not in any foods of plant origin.

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.