Statin users have a 13% increased incidence of common infections

This study was published in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences 2014 Mar;347(3):211-6

Study title and authors:
The effect of statin therapy on the incidence of infections: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Magulick JP, Frei CR, Ali SK, Mortensen EM, Pugh MJ, Oramasionwu CU, Daniels KR, Mansi IA.
Department of Internal Medicine (JPM, SKA), San Antonio Military Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23426088

The objective of the study was to compare the incidence of infections in statin users to that in nonusers. The six year study included 45,247 subjects.

The study found that statin users had a 13% increased incidence of common infections compared to nonusers.

TIME magazine article says butter and saturated fat is good for you!

This is the headline in the latest TIME magazine by Bryan Walsh. The medical reporter on the Today show said butter, chicken skin or any type of saturated fat is good. She explained that saturated fats raise levels of benign large fluffy LDL cholesterol, and that refined carbohydrates raise levels of the dangerous small dense LDL cholesterol.

Bryan may have read the scientific evidence in my book: "Cholesterol and Saturated Fat Prevent Heart Disease"

Statin use increases the risk of osteoarthritis and joint pain by 26%

This study was published in the American Journal of Medical Sciences 2013 May;345(5):343-8

 

Study title and authors:

Incidence of musculoskeletal and neoplastic diseases in patients on statin therapy: results of a retrospective cohort analysis.

Mansi IA, Mortensen EM, Pugh MJ, Wegner M, Frei CR.

Brooke Army Medical Center, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas 78234-6200, USA. Iishak.mansi@us.army.mil

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22975580

This study was conducted to investigate the incidence of various musculoskeletal diseases in statin users and nonusers. The study included 12,980 statin users and 45,997 nonusers who were followed for four years.

The study found:
(a) Statin users had a 26% increased risk of osteoarthritis and arthropathy (joint pain) compared to non-users.
(b) Statin users had a 20% increased risk of dorsopathies (back or spinal pain), rheumatism (joint and connective tissue problems) and chondropathies (cartilage disease) compared to non-users.

Men with low cholesterol, 140 mg/dL (3.6 mmol/L), have a higher risk of death compared to men with higher cholesterol of 250mg/dL (6.5 mmol/L)

This study was published in the Lancet 1986 Oct 25;2(8513):933-6

Study title and authors:
Serum cholesterol, blood pressure, and mortality: implications from a cohort of 361,662 men.

Martin MJ, Hulley SB, Browner WS, Kuller LH, Wentworth D.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2877128

The study determined the effects of cholesterol levels in middle-aged men. The study lasted six years and included 361,662 men aged 35-57.

The study found that men with cholesterol levels of ~140 mg/dL (3.6 mmol/L) had a ~14% increased risk of death compared to men with cholesterol levels of ~250 mg/dL (6.5 mmol/L).

Despite the fact the study revealed men with lower cholesterol levels had higher death rates, this study was used as evidence in the first report of The National Cholesterol Education Program in 1988 to lower the upper limit of normal cholesterol levels from 250mg/dL (6.5 mmol/L) to 200mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L).

One third of all statin users report side effects

This study was published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology 2012 May-Jun;6(3):208-15

 

Study title and authors:

Understanding Statin Use in America and Gaps in Patient Education (USAGE): an internet-based survey of 10,138 current and former statin users.

Cohen JD, Brinton EA, Ito MK, Jacobson TA.

St. Louis University School of Medicine, 8138 Westmoreland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63105, USA. cohenjd@swbell.net

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22658145

This study assessed the effects of statins on current and former users. The study included 10,138 participants, average age 61 years.

The study found:
(a) 28% of current statin users reported side effects.
(b) 33% of all statin users reported side effects.
(c) 65% of former statin users reported side effects.
(d) 62% of former statin users stopped taking statins because of the side effects.