Worried about effects of statin on cardiovascular and cognitive health

Statins do four things, and one of them isn't so great. The three that are great are that they lower the production of bad cholesterol, they stabilize the plaque that is extant anywhere by calcifying it so that it doesn't get broken up easily and wash downstream where it might lodge and cause a blockage/stroke, and they reduce systemic inflammation. This last one is very modest....there are much better drugs for that purpose.

The bad thing about statins, apart from the odd report of muscular pain and some other somewhat rare side effects, is that they increase glucose in the blood which leads to higher levels of insulin, which is a storage hormone. It makes adipocytes store more and more fat. Statins can make you fat.

There is widespread discussion in the medical field about the efficacy of statins. For many, they work well enough that they're worth taking and they can prolong quality life. For others, they're almost as much trouble as they purport to alleviate. And the data still shows that several thousand people have to take a moderate dose of the drug for it to show more than a few weeks of prolonged life in one patient....ONE!

However, nobody replying here is likely to have extensive medical training, and we aren't qualified to give advice. What we share here is anecdotal, and we hope it helps to frame an experience and to encourage the formulation of questions or challenges that should be put to one's own medical caregivers.

@gloaming There isn't "widespread discussion" about statin efficacy.

We are not medical staff, we are here as yourself, other patients sharing stories.

What you shared of your husband, please do whatever the doctor said he needs to do. I have taken a statin since becoming type 2 diabetic. I don’t have any side effects. The plus of taking a statin outweighs any negatives you read about. The reason why my doctor prescribed statin is because my dad had heart disease, it was more preventive.
I am still overweight, had breast cancer as a man and still taking treatment. However I eat much better, sleep better and though I have some brain fog, I manage it well. I do not drink nor do I smoke.

@ginniwin Welcome to Connect, where we are patients and caregivers trying to support one another.

Since I am not a medical professional, I can't answer whether he is better off on a statin or not. But I can tell you that your reports of his unhealthy lifestyle and possible stroke are just as likely to be the cause of his cognitive issues as the statin, or at least may be contributing to the problem.

You need to get him to listen to his doctor, and get things on a better track. Does he have children, siblings or friends who can help you talk to him?

Hello @ginwin,

It is understandable to be concerned about taking new medications as they can affect us all differently. Here is a good, quick, read from Mayo Clinic that can help weight the pros and cons of starting a statin:

"Statin side effects: Weigh the benefits and risks"
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/statin-side-effects/art-20046013

While statins can lead, in a small number of cases, some mild weight gain, it is often attributed to diet and lifestyle change more than the medication itself and the benefits outweigh the negatives if it is determined you need a statin. As always, it is important to discuss your concerns with your medical provider and to walk through those concerns, so you feel confident in your treatment.

Find ways to improve your diet, staying away from sugar and processed foods.

Follow up to see how your blood results are while following your doctors directions, the numbers should go down as well as your prescription dose.

I’m no authority on medicine but I do research what I’m being asked to take. On piece of data that stands out on statins concerns something called “Number needed to treat” and “Number needed to harm.” Data shows much more people are caused some degree of harm than are prevented from future cardiac events. Also the data shows that those with total cholesterol numbers below 200 die from cardiac events more than those with numbers in between 200-300. Again, I’m repeated what the data shows, not providing any advice.

@csrb7007

Dr. Westman has an interesting YouTube video on a 40 year old study that was filed away addressing some of these issues and covering the important role of cholesterol in our bodies. I'll post for you although it sound like you are aware of it. Dr. Westman is legit. He works at Duke University.

We are finally coming to accept that it is LPa and LPb that are far more highly predictive of 'MCEs', or 'major cardiovascular events.' They are read as 'Ell Pee little a and Ell Pee little b.' Lipo-protein a and b. They are not the same as LDL cholesterol which, we know and accept, is still harmful, but it's also necessary to get some fat soluble vitamins across cell membranes throughout the body. And, as the science is showing increasingly, LDL levels predict MCEs poorly. Statins control LDL production.

One cardiothoracic surgeon on youtube, a grizzled older man, still very active, says to save your money on CoQ10 if you're taking a statin. There is almost no convincing evidence you need to take it if you're taking a statin. I wasn't so happy about his claim, but it's hard to argue with a surgeon doing heart repairs for various reasons for 30 years. Strangely, he's still sweet on statins and says they do save lives. However, it has to be prescribed for a specific reason for particular genotypes, not widely for everyone and hope it will extend every life for up to 5-10 years. The evidence doesn't support that claim by Big Pharma. Plenty of dissenting videos on youtube about 'number needed to treat'. So, yes, the medical community IS discussing this, and learning more all the time.

@csrb7007

Has some of this info been gleaned from the 40 year old Minnesota Coronary Experiment that was never published?