Statins CAN cause heart disease - Shock research warns drug risks hardened arteries!

People taking the drugs are more likely to suffer from hardening of the arteries, a leading cause of heart problems.

In addition, researchers found the drugs block a process that protects the heart.

This can “cause, or worsen, heart failure”, according to a study.

The lead author says: “I cannot find any evidence to support people taking statins.”

Now Professor Harumi Okuyama, whose team studied a series of more than 20 major research papers on the drugs, says they could cause heart disease.

Dr Okuyama, of Nagoya City University, Japan, said: “We have collected a wealth of information on cholesterol and statins from many published papers and find overwhelming evidence that these drugs accelerate hardening of the arteries and can cause, or worsen, heart failure. I cannot find any evidence to support people taking statins and patients who are on them should stop.”

The researchers say the hypothesis that statins protect the heart by lowering cholesterol is flawed and that high cholesterol is not necessarily linked to heart disease.

They also found statins have a negative effect on vital body processes linked to heart health.

They discovered patients taking the drugs were more likely to have calcium deposits in their arteries, a phenomenon directly linked to heart attacks.

This is because statins block a molecule needed for the body to produce a vital K vitamin, which prevents calcification of the arteries.

Dr Okuyama and his team say many earlier industry-sponsored studies, which show the benefits of statins, are unreliable.

More on this latest statin study here.

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/633160/Cholesterol-drug-statins-cause-heart-disease-experts

Thanks Eddie, I found it really interesting and as a result I found the warfarin I take also causes calcification .
Thanks.
Derek

Check out the study that the Express article was based on

Statins stimulate atherosclerosis and heart failure: pharmacological mechanisms

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1586/17512433.2015.1011125

I was told I should go back onto a statin to "stabilise" my plaque, ie. calcify it. 

Watch for more "harm of statins" data to emerge now they have PCSK9 inhibitors to market.

The lack of Big Pharma influence is apparent in this study, when a review is impartial the truth will out despite the protestations of the likes of Sir Rory Collins and his fellow Pharma funded colleagues.

Yes the cows are coming home to roost now as the long term problems are becoming impossible to paper over. To mix some metaphors.

chris c wrote:I was told I should go back onto a statin to "stabilise" my plaque, ie. calcify it. 

Watch for more "harm of statins" data to emerge now they have PCSK9 inhibitors to market.

I believe the NHS has kicked PCSK9 inhibitors into touch as they are extremely expensive. Also you have to believe in the totally bogus cholesterol hypothesis to touch these drugs with a barge poll.

So far yes, but Heart UK (I think) is championing them for people with Familial Hypercholesterolemia. Then once the camel has its nose into the tent . . .

(Look at their sponsors to see why)

chris c wrote:Watch for more "harm of statins" data to emerge now they have PCSK9 inhibitors to market.

Yep another one released just last Thursday 

Statins associated with a 21% increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer

The study investigated the relationship between statin use and non-melanoma skin cancer. The study included 118,357 women, aged 50-79 years, who were followed for 10.5 years.

The study found that women who used statins had a 21% increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer compared to women who did not use statins.

http://healthydietsandscience.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/statins-associated-with-21-increased.html

BJC paper here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26742009