Coronary artery disease is one of the primary risk factors for heart attack and cardiac mortality, and calcification marks the end-stage of atherosclerosis, the gradual plaque-driven narrowing of the arteries, as the lumen (opening of the artery) can no longer compensate for the obstructive build-up of plaque by expanding, once the calcification process has taken place.
Statins are increasingly recognized to have profound cardiotoxic properties, despite their widespread use in the prevention and treatment of heart disease.
Here are several ways in which this chemical class of cholesterol-lowering drugs adversely affects heart health:
- Statin drugs deplete the heart muscle of coenzyme Q10, a fundamental cofactor for mitochondrial energy production (the heart muscle cells have one of the highest mitochondrial densities (approximately 5,000 mitochondria per muscle cell, versus 50 for skeletal muscle), and therefore are most susceptible to statin-induced coenzyme Q10 depletion, and subsequent mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Statins increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, a condition whose hallmark pathology is high blood sugar-induced endothelial dysfunction, which is the beginning stage of cardiovascular disease, as it leads to damage in the arteries, only after which cholesterol-containing plaques form.
- Statin drugs are muscle-damaging (myotoxic) and nerve-damaging (neurotoxic). The heart is a highly innervated muscle (densely packed with nerves), indicating that statin drugs are uniquely toxic to heart tissue.
- Statin use is associated associated with an increased prevalence of microalbuminuria, a well-known marker of vascular dysfunction, affecting both cardiovascular and kidney disease risk.
For natural, evidence-based alternative to statin drugs, visit our biomedical archive on over 125 natural foods, spices and herbs with cholesterol-modulating properties.
Also, take a look at Justin Smith's new documentary called Statin Nation.
Resource
- Ryo Nakazato, Heidi Gransar, Daniel S Berman, Victor Y Cheng, Fay Y Lin, Stephan Achenbach, Mouaz Al-Mallah, Matthew J Budoff, Filippo Cademartiri, Tracy Q Callister, Hyuk-Jae Chang, Ricardo C Cury, Kavitha Chinnaiyan, Benjamin J W Chow, Augustin Delago, Martin Hadamitzky, Joerg Hausleiter, Philipp Kaufmann, Erica Maffei, Gilbert Raff, Leslee J Shaw, Todd C Villines, Allison Dunning, Gudrun Feuchtner, Yong-Jin Kim, Jonathon Leipsic, James K Min. Statins use and coronary artery plaque composition: Results from the International Multicenter CONFIRM Registry. Atherosclerosis. 2012 Aug 24. Epub 2012 Aug 24. PMID: 22981406
Comment: Read more about the serious side effects of Statin Drugs:
How Statins Really Work Explains Why They Don't Really Work
Health Groups: Statins Linked to 300+ Negative Effects
Big Pharma Lies About Statin Drugs Finally Exposed in British Medical Journal
Statins may do more harm than good in stroke victims
Why Taking Statins Might be Pointless - And Even Bad for You
Why Women Should Stop Their Cholesterol Lowering Medication
Statins Cause Serious Structural Muscle Damage
Taking statins may increase cancer risk
Statin Drugs Found To Accelerate Arterial Calcification
Learn the truth about Glycation, Cholesterol, Statins and Dietary Fiber from Dr. Ellis