Links and references
1) http://www.neurology.org/content/58/9/1333.abstract
Statins and risk of polyneuropathy, A case-control study, D. Gaist, MD
PhD, U. Jeppesen, MD PhD, M. Andersen, MD PhD, L. A. Garca
Rodrguez, MD MSc, J. Hallas, MD PhD and S. H. Sindrup, MD PhD From the Department
of Neurology (Drs. Gaist, Jeppesen, and Sindrup), Odense University
Hospital; Epidemiology (Dr. Gaist) and Clinical Pharmacology (Drs.
Andersen, Hallas, and Sindrup), Institute of Public Health, University
of Southern Denmark; and Centro Espaà ±ol de Investigacià ³n
Farmacoepidemiolà ³gica (Dr. Garca Rodrguez), Madrid, Spain.
Several case reports and a single epidemiologic study indicate that use of statins occasionally may have a deleterious effect on the peripheral nervous system. The authors therefore performed a population-based study to estimate the relative risk of idiopathic polyneuropathy in users of statins.
Method: The authors used a population-based patient registry to identify
first-time-ever cases of idiopathic polyneuropathy registered in the
5-year period 1994 to 1998. For each case, validated according to
predefined criteria, 25 control subjects were randomly selected among
subjects from the background population matched for age, sex, and
calendar time. The authors used a prescription register to assess
exposure to drugs and estimated the odds ratio of use of statins (ever
and current use) in cases of idiopathic polyneuropathy compared with
control subjects.
Results: The authors verified a diagnosis of idiopathic polyneuropathy
in 166 cases. The cases were classified as definite (35), probable (54),
or possible (77). The odds ratio linking idiopathic polyneuropathy with
statin use was 3.7 (95% CI 1.8 to 7.6) for all cases and 14.2 (5.3 to
38.0) for definite cases. The corresponding odds ratios in current users
were 4.6 (2.1 to 10.0) for all cases and 16.1 (5.7 to 45.4) for
definite cases. For patients treated with statins for 2 or more years
the odds ratio of definite idiopathic polyneuropathy was 26.4 (7.8 to
45.4).
Conclusions: Long-term exposure to statins may substantially increase the risk of polyneuropathy.
2) http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/30/news/la-heb-lipitor-generic-20111130
Lipitor generated more than $100 billion in revenue for Pfizer since it was approved in 1997.
3) http://primaldocs.com/opinion/have-you-experienced-side-effects-of-statin-drugs/
Have YOU Experienced Side Effects of Statin Drugs?
Studies have confirmed that peripheral neuropathy (tingling and numbness or burning pain) may occur with statins.
4) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673604157395
Selenoprotein synthesis and side-effects of statins
Bernd Moosmann, PhDa, Christian Behl, PhDa,
Statins are possibly the most effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia and coronary heart disease. They are generally well tolerated, however, they do cause some unusual side-effects with potentially severe consequences, most prominently myopathy or rhabdomyolysis and polyneuropathy. We noted that the pattern of side-effects associated with statins resembles the pathology of selenium deficiency, and postulated that the mechanism lay in a well established, but often overlooked, biochemical pathway--the isopentenylation of selenocysteine-tRNA[Ser]Sec. A negative effect of statins on selenoprotein synthesis does seem to explain many of the enigmatic effects and side-effects of statins, in particular, statin-induced myopathy. Christian Behl, Department of Pathobiochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Medical School, 55099 Mainz, Germany
5) http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=related:edv9UVeSlC0J:scholar.google.com/&hl=en&as_sdt=0,10
Statin"Associated Peripheral Neuropathy: Review of the Literature
6) http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/details.asp?pid=1322
Witch Doctors Two Lassa Witch Doctors.
7) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fremont_Solstice_Parade_-_witch_doctor_prepares.jpg
Man dressed as witch doctor preparing for Fremont Solstice Parade, Fremont, Seattle, Washington circa 2000.
8) http://jeffreydachmd.com/getting-off-statin-drug-stories-by-jeffrey-dach-md/ Getting Off Statin Drug Stories by Jeffrey Dach MD
9) http://jeffreydachmd.com/statin-drugs-revisited/
Statin Drugs Revisited by Jeffrey Dach MD
The 4S trial was done on 4444 patients who had known heart disease, randomized to simvastatin or placebo, and followed for 5.5 years. At the end of the follow up, they reported 182 deaths in the statin drug group (8.2 %) and 256 deaths in the placebo group (11.5% ). This provided an absolute mortality benefit of 3.3% over 5.5 years, or 0.6% per year. (12,13) The 6-year probabilities of survival for placebo was 88.5 % and for simvastatin was 91.8%, a difference of 3.3%.
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