Statin use associated with a 17% increased risk of urinary tract symptoms

This study was published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2014 Jul 2

 

Study title and authors:

Association of statin use with storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS): data mining of prescription database.

Fujimoto M, Higuchi T, Hosomi K, Takada M.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24986095

The objective of the study was to examine the association between statin use and the risk of lower urinary tract symptoms. The study analysed a large database of prescriptions of statin use in combination with drugs administered for storage lower urinary tract symptoms. (Storage lower urinary tract symptoms include increased frequency and urgency of passing urine, urge incontinence and needing to get up to pass urine at night).

The study found statin users had a 17% higher risk of storage lower urinary tract symptoms.

Fujimoto concluded: "Analysis of the prescription database showed significant association for storage LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms) in statin users". 

Statins associated with an 88% increased risk of recurrence of bladder cancer

This study was published in BMC Cancer 2015 Mar 13;15:120

 

Study title and authors:

Can daily intake of aspirin and/or statins influence the behavior of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer? A retrospective study on a cohort of patients undergoing transurethral bladder resection.

Pastore A, Palleschi G, Fuschi A, Silvestri L, Al Salhi Y, Costantini E, Zucchi A, Petrozza V, de Nunzio C, Carbone A.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25877676

Transurethral  bladder resection is a surgical procedure that is used both to diagnose bladder cancer and to remove cancerous tissue from the bladder.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between  non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and statins or aspirin in patients submitted to transurethral bladder resection. The study, (which included 574 patients diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer), was divided into two main groups: treated (aspirin and/or statins) and untreated.

Regarding statins, the study found that patients who took statins had a 88% increased risk of recurrence of bladder cancer compared to patients who did not take statins. 

Plant sterols might be an additional risk factor for coronary heart disease

This study was published in Metabolism 2002 Dec;51(12):1519-21

Study title and authors:
Serum plant sterols as a potential risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Sudhop T, Gottwald BM, von Bergmann K.
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12489060

The lead author of the study, Dr Thomas Sudhop, notes that in patients with the inherited disease of phytosterolemia, elevated concentrations of plant sterols (eg, campesterol and sitosterol) (think Benecol and Flora proactive) have been implicated as a risk factor for premature atherosclerosis.

This study examined the role of plant sterols in patients (with plant sterol levels in the normal range) admitted for elective artery coronary bypass graft surgery. The study included 53 patients of which 26 reported a family history in their first-degree relatives for coronary heart disease.

The study found:
(a) Patients with a positive family history for coronary heart disease had a significant 31% higher plasma levels of campesterol compared to patients without a family history of coronary heart disease.
(b) Patients with a positive family history for coronary heart disease had a significant 29% higher plasma levels of sitosterol compared to patients without a family history of coronary heart disease.
(c) Patients with a positive family history for coronary heart disease had a significantly higher ratios of sitosterol to cholesterol and campesterol to cholesterol compared to patients without a family history of coronary heart disease.

Dr Sudhop concluded: "These findings support the hypothesis that plant sterols might be an additional risk factor for coronary heart disease".

Statin users of ten years have a 30% increased risk of colorectal cancer

This study was published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 2008 Sep;17(9):869-76

Study title and authors:
Chronic statin therapy and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Yang YX, Hennessy S, Propert K, Hwang WT, Sarkar M, Lewis JD.
Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA. yangy@mail.med.upenn.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18412290

The study sought to clarify the association between long-term statin therapy and the risk of colorectal cancer. This study was conducted among patients aged 50 years or more and with five or more years of colorectal cancer-free initial follow-up. The study included 4,432 colorectal cancer patients and 44,292 control subjects.

The study found:
(a) Those who had been taking statins for five or more years had a 10% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to non-users of statins.
(b) Those who had been taking statins for ten years had a 30% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to non-users of statins.

Sitosterol, a constituent of Benecol and Flora proactive, is associated with an increased occurrence of major coronary events

This study was published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases 2006 Jan;16(1):13-21

Study title and authors:
Plasma sitosterol elevations are associated with an increased incidence of coronary events in men: results of a nested case-control analysis of the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study.

Assmann G, Cullen P, Erbey J, Ramey DR, Kannenberg F, Schulte H.
Leibniz-Institut für Arterioskleroseforschung an der Universität Münster, Domagkstrasse 3, 48149 Münster, Germany. assmann@uni-muenster.de

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16399487

Phytosterols such as sitosterol are inserted in high quantities (at 841 times than the average vegetable) in plant sterol based margarines such as Benecol and Flora proactive.

This study was conducted to evaluate if sitosterol levels seen in the general population are associated with the occurrence of coronary events. The ten year study included 159 men who suffered a heart attack or sudden coronary death (major coronary event), who were compared with 318 control subjects.

The study found:
(a) Men with the highest sitosterol levels had a 1.8-fold increase in the risk of a major coronary event compared to men with lower levels.
(b) Among men with a high risk of a major coronary event, high sitosterol concentrations were associated with an additional 3-fold increase in the incidence of coronary events.
(c) Men with a high sitosterol/cholesterol ratio had a 3-fold increase in the incidence of coronary events.

Assmann concluded: "Elevations in sitosterol concentrations and the sitosterol/cholesterol ratio appear to be associated with an increased occurrence of major coronary events in men at high global risk of coronary heart disease".