Statins associated with higher risk of death and heart failure in heart attack patients

This study was published in JRSM Cardiovascular Disease 2016 Apr 21;5:2048004016639442

 

Study title and authors:

Association of statin use and stress-induced hyperglycemia in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Yan C, Qin M, Juan YS, Tao LY, Dong GM, Zechun Z, Chun YX, Liang CH, Yin L, Kang M.

Department of Cardiology, Tianjin Chest Hospital, Tianjin, China.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27158481

Stress induced hyperglycemia is a medical term referring to transient elevation of blood glucose due to the stress of illness. Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong association between stress hyperglycemia and increased risk of poor clinical outcomes, including mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay, infections and overall complications.

This study investigated the association of stress induced hyperglycemia following statin use in patients who had been hospitalized after a heart attack. The study included 476 patients who were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of diabetes.

The study found:
(a) In patients without diabetes, statin users had a 98% increased risk of stress induced hyperglycemia compared to those not taking statins.
(b) In patients with diabetes, statin users had a 3% increased risk of stress induced hyperglycemia compared to those not taking statins.
(c) Patients with stress induced hyperglycemia had a 161% increased risk of heart failure compared to patients without stress induced hyperglycemia.
(d) Patients with stress induced hyperglycemia had a 253% increased risk of dying in hospital compared to patients without stress induced hyperglycemia.

Yan concluded: "Statins are related to higher stress hyperglycemia and cardiac incidences after acute myocardial infarction."

Links to other studies:
Review reveals statins only extend life by 3 or 4 days. Closer analysis finds they may actually shorten life.
Statins double the risk of death in patients with coronary artery disease
Statins increase the risk of death in four year trial
 

Study stopped early because statins increased the risk of acute kidney injury in patients with kidney disease

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2016 Mar 1;315(9):877-88

 

Study title and authors:

High-Dose Perioperative Atorvastatin and Acute Kidney Injury Following Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Billings FT 4th, Hendricks PA, Schildcrout JS, Shi Y, Petracek MR, Byrne JG, Brown NJ.

Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26906014

This study investigated the relationship between short-term high-dose perioperative atorvastatin and acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery. The study included 615 patients (199 statin-naïve and 416 statin-using) and 308 of these were randomized to atorvastatin and 307 to placebo. The average patient age was 67 years.
(i) Patients naive to statin treatment were randomly assigned 80 mg of atorvastatin the day before surgery, 40 mg of atorvastatin the morning of surgery, and 40 mg of atorvastatin daily following surgery or matching placebo.
(ii) Patients already taking a statin prior to study enrolment continued taking the preenrollment statin until the day of surgery, were randomly assigned 80 mg of atorvastatin the morning of surgery and 40 mg of atorvastatin the morning after or matching placebo, and resumed taking the previously prescribed statin on postoperative day 2.

The study found:
(a) After an interim review, the data and safety monitoring board recommended stopping the group naive to statin treatment due to a 235% increased risk of acute kidney injury among these participants with chronic kidney disease receiving atorvastatin.
(b) After a further review, the data and safety monitoring board later recommended stopping for futility, as the data revealed statins were increasing the risk of acute kidney injury by 6% overall and by 61% in statin naïve patients.
(c) Those who took statins had a 25% increased risk of the more serious stage 2 or stage 3 acute kidney injury compared to those who did not take statins.

The study also revealed:
(d) Those given the statins had a 20% increased risk of muscle pain compared to those taking placebo.
(e) Those given the statins had a 44% increased risk of stroke compared to those taking placebo.
(f) Those given the statins had a 11% increased risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those taking placebo.
(g) Those given the statins had a 202% increased risk of in hospital death compared to those taking placebo.

Links to other studies:
Statins increase the risk of diabetes in kidney transplant patients
Statin use is associated with a 30-36% increased incidence of acute and chronic kidney disease
Statin use associated with a 59% increased risk of kidney failure

Statin treatment leads to worse outcome for patients in an intensive care unit

This study was published in Critical Care 2011;15(1):R74

Study title and authors:
Statins do not prevent acute organ failure in ventilated ICU patients: single-centre retrospective cohort study.

Terblanche MJ, Pinto R, Whiteley C, Brett S, Beale R, Adhikari NK.
Critical Care & Anaesthesia Research Group, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH, UK. marius.terblanche@kcl.ac.uk

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21356051

This 15 day study analysed the effects of statins on ventilated intensive care unit patients. The study included 1,397 mechanically ventilated patients without nonrespiratory organ failure within 24 hours after admission. The overall lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stays were five and 15 days, respectively. Patients receiving statins stayed longer in the intensive care unit by three days.

The study found:
(a) Patients taking statins had a 22% increased risk of organ failure compared to patients not taking statins.
(b) Patients taking statins had a 25% increased risk of liver failure compared to patients not taking statins.
(c) Patients taking statins had an 8% increased risk of liver impairment compared to patients not taking statins.
(d) In the intensive care unit setting, patients taking statins had an 0.7% increased risk of death compared to patients not taking statins.
(e) In the hospital setting, patients taking statins had an 19% increased risk of death compared to patients not taking statins.

Statin treatment leads to worse outcomes for patients in an intensive care unit.

Links to other studiers:
Statins increase the risk of liver damage
Statin users have a 26% increased risk of liver function test abnormalities
Acute hepatitis induced by lovastatin

Stroke victims taking statins have increased risk of death and a 140% increased risk of infection

This study was published in the European Journal of Neurology 2008 Jan;15(1):82-90

Study title and authors:
Simvastatin in the acute phase of ischemic stroke: a safety and efficacy pilot trial.

Montaner J, Chacón P, Krupinski J, Rubio F, Millán M, Molina CA, Hereu P, Quintana M, Alvarez-Sabín J.
Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Neurovascular Unit, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. 31862jmv@comb.es

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18070096

This study was a double-blind, randomised, multicentre clinical trial to study the effects of simvastatin in patients the first 90 days after a cortical stroke. The study included 60 patients with cortical strokes (a cortical stroke occurs when the blood supply to the outside, or cortex, of the brain is reduced or blocked, which results in brain damage) who were given either simvastatin or placebo at three to12 hours from symptom onset.

The study found:
(a) More patients taking simvastatin died compared to patients taking placebo.
(b) Patients taking simvastatin had a 140% increased risk of infection compared to patients taking placebo.

Links to other studies:
Patients taking statins after a stroke have a 68% increased risk of suffering another stroke
Statins increase the incidence of liver damage
Statins associated with increased bleeding in the brain in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage

Statins associated with 30% increased risk of death in kidney transplant patients

This paper was published in the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews 2009 Apr 15;(2):CD005019

 

Study title and authors:

HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) for kidney transplant recipients.

Navaneethan SD, Perkovic V, Johnson DW, Nigwekar SU, Craig JC, Strippoli GF.

Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Glickman Urological and Kidney institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. navanes@ccf.org

 

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19370615

This paper assessed the effects of statin therapy on kidney transplant recipients. The paper analysed the results of 14 studies with 3,045 participants that compared death rates of patients.

The analysis found that kidney transplant patients that received statins had a 30% increased risk of death compared to patients who did not take statins. 

Cardiac surgery patients taking statins have a 24% increased risk of death

This study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases 2009 Apr 1;48(7):e66-72

Study title and authors:
Preoperative statin use and infection after cardiac surgery: a cohort study.

Mohamed R, McAlister FA, Pretorius V, Kapoor AS, Majumdar SR, Ross DB, Norris CM
Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19228110

This study explored the effects of preoperative statin use in adults who had undergone cardiac surgery. The study included 7,733 nontransplant cardiac surgery patients who were followed for 30 days.

The study found:
(a) Patients taking statins had a 24% increased risk of death compared to patients not taking statins.
(b) Patients taking statins had an 11% increased risk of death due to infection compared to patients not taking statins.
(c) Patients taking statins had an 8% increased risk of any infection compared to patients not taking statins.

 

 

Links to other studies:

Statin treatment increases the risk of death by 301% after balloon angioplasty

Statins should not be given to patients with heart failure

Statin use is associated with an 80% higher risk of multiple organ failure in severely injured blunt trauma patients

Cardiac surgery patients taking statins have a 42% increased risk of death

This study was published in the Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgergy 2012 Jul 13;7:39

Study title and authors:
Hemodynamic effects of peri-operative statin therapy in on-pump cardiac surgery patients.

Hinz J, Gehoff P, Schotola H, Hosseini MT, Didilis VN, Jebran AF, Gehoff A, Wiese CH, Schulz EG, Schoendube FA, Popov AF.
Department of Anaesthesiology, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22533985

This study set out to investigate the effect of statin therapy on patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. (Cardiopulmonary bypass is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body). The study included 478 patients who stayed in hospital for an average of 25 days. They were divided into (i) statin taking group (ii) non statin group.

The study found:
(a) Patients taking statins had a 42% increased risk of death whilst in hospital compared to patients not taking statins.
(b) The statin taking group had a significant 16% lower Systemic Vascular Resistance Index compared to the non statin group. (A decrease of Systemic Vascular Resistance Index is evidence for systemic inflammation).

  

Links to other studies:

Statin treatment is associated with a higher death rate and a higher risk of heart attack in angioplasty patients

Statins can damage the lining of blood vessels

Statin major adverse effects have been under-reported and the way in which they withheld from the public, and even concealed, is a scientific farce 



Review reveals statins only extend life by 3 or 4 days. Closer analysis finds they may actually shorten life.

This study was published in the BMJ Open 2015 Sep 24;5(9):e007118

Study title and authors:
The effect of statins on average survival in randomised trials, an analysis of end point postponement.

Kristensen ML, Christensen PM, Hallas J.
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

This can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26408281

The objective of the study was to estimate the average postponement of death by statin users in statin trials. The study included an analysis of 11 trials that were defined by being randomised, having at least 1000 patients included, comparing a statin with no treatment or placebo, having at least two years of follow-up. Six of the studies were for primary prevention and five for secondary prevention with a follow-up between 2.0 and 6.1 years.

The analysis found:
(a) In primary prevention trials statin users lived an extra 3.2 days.
(b) in secondary prevention trials statin users lived an extra 4.1 days.

So the results show that - with the massive expense of buying the drugs, with the plethora of debilitating side effects, such as diabetes, muscle damage, heart failure, suicide, homicide, accidental death, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's, dementia, birth defects, cancer, cataract, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, liver damage, lung disease, memory loss, pancreatitis, peripheral neuropathy, rhabdomyolysis, and many, many more - with all these toxic side effects statins may (supposedly) increase your life by only three of four days.

However, do they even prolong life by this paltry amount?

Clinical trials with statins are performed in highly selected populations. Most statin trials have exclusion criteria that screens out a significant percentage of people because of health and toxicity concerns. This has the effect of making the statin drugs look better than they actually are.

In the real world, few people are discouraged from using statins by the medical profession, so many people who would not be allowed in the clinical trials are taking statin drugs. This is why clinical trials show that side effects are suffered by about 5% of participants, yet in reality the figure can be anything from a fifth to over two thirds (or even more) of all statin users. 

The begs the question, that if more people suffer toxic side effects than the clinical trials portray, then do people who are taking statin drugs also have a shorter life?

In trying to determine an answer to this question it may be helpful to look at the exclusion criteria in the eleven trials in this study.

The eleven trials were:
ALLHAT
ASCOT
CARDS
JUPITER
MEGA
WOSCOPS
4S
GISSI-HF
GISSI-P
LIPID
CORONA

(1) Exclusion criteria for the ALLHAT trial:
(i) People intolerant of statins: It's anyone's guess what this number is.
(ii) Those with liver or kidney disease.
(iii) Other contraindications for statin therapy: This may include hypothyroidism; pregnancy; lactation; excess alcohol intake; use of drugs such as: amiodarone, verapamil, diltiazem, erythromycin, clarithromycin, ciclosporin, itraconazole, ketoconazole, HIV protease inhibitors, nefazodone and ciclosporin; consumption of grapefruit or grapefruit juice; use of warfarin; patients at risk of haemorrhagic stroke.
(iv) Secondary cause of hyperlipidemia: This may include patients with diabetes; hypothyroidism; nephrotic syndrome; renal failure; use of drugs such as; adrenal steroids, isotretinoin, thiazides, anticonvulsants, oral contraceptives and alcohol; those who have obstructive liver disease, hepatitis, gaucher disease, von Gierke disease, acute intermittent porphyria, anorexia nervosa, systemic lupus erythematosus; the obese and those who smoke cigarettes. 

(2) Exclusion criteria for the ASCOT trial:
(i) Patients who had had a previous heart attack.
(ii) Those with angina.
(iii) A stroke within the previous 3 months.
(iv) Fasting triglycerides higher than 4·5 mmol/L.
(v) Heart failure.
(vi) Uncontrolled arrhythmias.
(vii) Anyone with a haematological (blood) or biochemical (chemical substances and vital processes) abnormality. 

(3) Exclusion criteria for CARDS:
(i) Any past history of myocardial infarction, angina, coronary vascular surgery, cerebrovascular accident, or severe peripheral vascular disease.
(ii) Abnormal kidneys.
(iii) High blood sugar.
(iv) Those who take their drugs less than 80% of the time.

(4) The JUPITER trial:
(i) 89,890 patients were screened for the study; (only 17,802 patients were finally entered into the trial.)
(ii) 37,611 patients were excluded because their LDLcholesterol was more than 130 mg/dL.
(iii) 25,993 because their C-reactive protein was less than 2.0 mg/L.
(iv) 957 patients for diabetes.
(v) 349 patients for hypothyroidism.
(vi) 305 patients for liver disease.
(vii) Many others for hypothyroidism, hypertriglyceridemia, concurrent use of hormone replacement therapy, or cancer in the last 5 years before enrolment
(viii) Additionally, 3,948 patients withdrew consent.
(ix) An additional 1,521 patients were excluded later after a 4-week placebo run-in for poor compliance.
(x) Despite all the scrutiny in choosing patients for the JUPITER trial, at the time of study termination, only 75% of study participants were still taking their study medication.

(5) The MEGA trial:
(i) 15,210 patients entered a 4-week run in phase, but 7,201 (48%) were excluded and only 8,009 finally participated in the trial.
(ii) Reasons for exclusion included: lack of effect on cholesterol, kidney and liver disease: and because "the patient had little probability of complying with the treatment".

(6) Exclusion Criteria for the WOSCOPS trial:
(i) History of treated heart attack.
(ii) Hospitalization for angina within prior 12 months.
(iii) Electrocardiogram abnormalities,.
(iv) Arrhythmia.
(v) Frequent premature ventricular contractions.
(vi) More than 2nd degree atrioventricular Block.
(vii) High blood pressure.
(viii) History of rheumatic heart disease.
(ix) Congenital heart disease.
(x) Cor pulmonale, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or kyphoscoliosis associated with EKG changes.
(xi) Cardiomegaly, congestive cardiac failure, or significant valvular heart disease.
(xii) Other suspected serious physical illness.
(xiii) Psychiatric illness.
(xiv) Laboratory exclusions.

(7) 4S trial exclusion criteria:
(i) Premenopausal women of childbearing potential.
(ii) Secondary hypercholesterolaemia (see ALLHAT (iv)).
(iii) Unstable or Prinzmetal angina, tendon xanthomata.
(iv) Planned coronary artery surgery or angioplasty.
(v) Heart attack during the preceding six months.
(vi) Antiarrhythmic therapy.
(vii) Congestive heart failure requiring treatment.
(viii) Persistent atrial fibrillation.
(ix) Cardiomegaly.
(x) Haemodynamically important valvular heart disease.
(xi) Stroke.
(xii) Impaired liver function.
(xiii) Partial ileal bypass.
(xiv) History of drug or alcohol abuse.
(xv) Poor mental function.
(xvi) Other serious disease.
(xvii) Intolerant of statins.

(8) The GISSI-HF exclusion criteria:
(i) Heart attack, unstable angina or revascularization procedure within 1 month.
(ii) Planned cardiac surgery, expected to be performed within 3 months.
(iii) Congenital or primary valvular etiology.
(iv) Intolerant of statins.
(v) Liver disease.
(vi) Pregnant or lactating women or women of childbearing potential who are not protected from pregnancy by an accepted method of contraception.
(vii) Any condition that in the opinion of the investigator would jeopardize the evaluation of efficacy or safety or be associated with poor adherence to the protocol.
(viii) Presence of any non-cardiac disease (e.g. cancer) that is likely to significantly shorten life expectancy.
(ix) Kidney abnormalities.

(9) GISSI-P trial was an open trial on secondary coronary heart disease prevention: 4,271 recent acute heart attack patients with total blood cholesterol more than 200 mg/dl (5.1 mmol/L) were randomised to pravastatin 20 mg daily or no treatment.

(10) Exclusion criteria for the LIPID trial:
(i) Clinically significant medical or surgical event within three months before study entry.
(ii) Heart failure.
(iii) Kidney or liver disease.

(11) CORONA exclusion criteria.
(i) Prior statin-induced myopathy or hypersensitivity.
(ii) Decompensated chronic heart failure or need for inotropic support.
(iii) Heart attack within past 6 months.
(iv) Unstable angina or stroke within past 3 months.
(v) Coronary artery bypass graft (or similar), pacemaker within past 3 months or plan to implant.
(vi) Prior heart transplant.
(vii) Significant uncorrected primary valvular heart disease.
(viii) Malfunctioning prosthetic valve.
(ix) Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
(x) Acute endomyocarditis/myocarditis.
(xi) Pericardial disease.
(xii) Systemic disease (eg, amyloidosis).
(xiii) Liver disease.
(xiv) Chronic muscle disease.
(xv) Prior cyclosporine.
(xvi) Life-limiting condition (cancer etc).
(xvii) Suspected poor compliance to protocol.

This investigation of the exclusion criteria and run-in phases of statin trials reveals the reasons that the large significant percentage of people are excluded from entering the statin studies.
(a) Most trials weed out people who are intolerant of statins.
(b) Subjects with liver or kidney problems are normally excluded.
(c) Women of child bearing age are routinely not allowed.
(d) Patients are often barred who have had surgical procedures.
(e) Most studies don't allow patients with a wide range of heart conditions.
(f) People who use drugs or alcohol are not included in statin studies.
(g) Up to 80% of screened potential subjects are rejected from the trials.
(h) Patients with various concomitant illness are invariably excluded from the trials.
(i) Patients taking a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs are not allowed into the studies.
(j) Poor mental function patients are screened out.
(k) Many of the trials weed out potential subjects who they suspect will have poor compliance in taking the statin drugs.

 

A couple of the studies have a 'run-in' phase where potential subjects are weeded out through various criteria. These trials have amounted to about a 50 to 80% exclusion rate before the trial begins. Nearly all the trials have a whole plethora of exclusion criteria and although it is very difficult to quantify how many people have been excluded, it may be argued that the 50 to 80% exclusion rate may be broadly similar.

 

How can we answer the question "do people taking statins have a shorter life?" 

 

The above eleven statin trials included 92,135 subjects. If we take the lower exclusion rate of 50%, then potentially about another 46,000 statin intolerant or statin incompatible people could have been included in the trials.

 

This would dramatically reduce the already paltry "three or four days statins add to life".

 

How can an accurate revised death rate figure can be calculated? I don't know if it's possible. But with data from an extra 46,000 statin intolerant people to be crunched there would be an exponential rise in side effects with a concomitant rise in deaths.

 

So, even if the actual exclusion rate figure is less than the estimated 50% exclusion rate figure, I suspect that this closer analysis of clinical trials reveals that statins may actually shorten life in the real world.

 

Statins do not prevent cardiovascular and all-cause deaths

This paper was published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology Volume 7, Issue 3 , Pages 222-224, May 2013
 
Study title and authors:
Point: Why statins have failed to reduce mortality in just about anybody
Eddie Vos, Colin P. Rose, Pierre Biron
127 Courser Road, Sutton, QC, Canada J0E 2K0

Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3H 1V6

 

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.lipidjournal.com/article/S1933-2874(13)00052-4/abstract

 

This paper reviewed the scientific evidence regarding statins and death rates.

 

(i) In JUPITER (Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin trial), a trial involving 17,802 participants randomised to rosuvastatin or placebo found for all participants the cardiovascular mortality was not reduced.

(ii) All published trials with placebo controls conclusively establish that statins do not reduce mortality in women.

(iii) There are no mortality figures suggesting a positive effect for people taking statins for more than five or six years.

(iv) In the PROSPER (PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk) study, in patients older than 70 years of age, there appeared to be arising increased rate of cancer, which may indicate that longer intervals of statin therapy may have other costs in the elderly.

(v) For both genders, the lack of all-cause mortality benefit is also illustrated by all published studies using atorvastatin vs. placebo, including the summary of 49 in-house studies including 14,236 individual patients.

(vi) The secondary prevention study SPARCL (Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels) ended with five more deaths on highdose atorvastatin than on placebo.

(vii) To date, there are no placebo-controlled studies showing a mortality benefit when patients used lovastatin, fluvastatin, cerivastatin, or pitavastatin.

(viii) No mortality benefit from statins has ever been shown in patients older than 70 years of age.

(ix) No mortality benefit from statins has ever been shown in patients with heart failure.

(x) No mortality benefit from statins has ever been shown in patients with kidney failure.

(xi) Patients believing consciously or subliminally that ‘‘their cholesterol is under control’’ because they take a statin may postpone embarking on lifestyle changes, such as stopping smoking and abandoning eating habits that produce obesity and diabetes.

(xii) There is evidence that statins themselves promote diabetes, a life-long health risk.

 

Vos advises: "Because the lack of circulating statins is not the cause of atherosclerosis and their benefit on mortality is highly questionable, we should concentrate on lifestyle changes. Exercise, no smoking, and a healthy diet are well demonstrated in population studies to reduce the high mortality seen in so many economically developed countries".

 

He concludes that statins: "do not prevent cardiovascular and all-cause deaths".

 



Statins increase the risk of serious adverse cardiovascular events

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2007 Mar 28;297(12):1344-53

 

Study title and authors:

Effect of rosuvastatin on progression of carotid intima-media thickness in low-risk individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis: the METEOR Trial.

Crouse JR 3rd, Raichlen JS, Riley WA, Evans GW, Palmer MK, O'Leary DH, Grobbee DE, Bots ML; METEOR Study Group.

Department of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. jrcrouse@wfubmc.edu

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17384434

This study investigated the effects of statins in participants with a low risk of heart disease. The two year study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 984 individuals, average age 57 years. The participants received either a daily 40-mg dose of rosuvastatin or placebo.

The study found:
(a) Cholesterol levels reduced by 33% in the statin users and remained the same in those on placebo.
(b) Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels reduced by 49% in the statin users and remained the same in those on placebo.
(c) Statin users had a 21% increased risk of death compared to placebo.
(d) Statin users had a 423% increased risk of a serious adverse cardiovascular event compared to placebo.
(e) Statin users had a 4% increased risk of any adverse event compared to placebo.
(f) Statin users had a 5% increased risk of developing cancer compared to placebo.
(g) Statin users had a 5% increased risk of muscle pain compared to placebo.
(h) Statin users had a 121% increased risk of elevated liver enzymes compared to placebo.
(i) Statin users had a 56% increased risk of developing arthritis compared to placebo.



Low LDL cholesterol levels are associated with reduced survival in elderly patients with heart failure

This study was published in Cardiology 2014;127(1):45-50

Study title and authors:
Low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: a negative predictor of survival in elderly patients with advanced heart failure.

Charach G, Rabinovich A, Ori A, Weksler D, Sheps D, Charach L, Weintraub M, George J.
The Department of Internal Medicine 'C', Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24217704

This study aimed to examine the impact of statins and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels on survival rates in elderly patients with moderate and severe heart failure. The study included 212 patients, average age 77 years, who were followed for 3.7 years. The patients were divided into three groups according to LDL cholesterol levels:
(i) Group one had LDL cholesterol levels less than 90 mg/dL (2.32 mmol/l).
(ii) Group two had LDL cholesterol levels between 90-115 mg/dL (2.32-3.00 mmol/l).
(iii) Group three had LDL cholesterol levels above 115 mg/dL (3.00 mmol/l).

The study found:
(a) The total cholesterol levels of group one patients was 31% lower than group three patients.
(b) Group one patients were over twice as likely to be on statins than group three patients.
(c) Only 34% of group one patients survived longer than 50 months whereas 58% of group three patients survived longer than 50 months.

Charach concluded: "Low LDL cholesterol levels are associated with a reduced survival in elderly patients with clinically controlled moderate and severe heart failure. Statins were independently and significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality".

Doctors say cholesterol and saturated fat do not cause heart disease and statins do not save lives

Please watch the two videos, each last about 30 minutes.

In the first video Dr Maryanne Demasi follows the road which led us to believe that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease, and reveal why it's been touted as the biggest myth in medical history.



The second video reveals the dangers of statin drugs.



The take home messages from the videos:

(i)Don't worry about cholesterol and saturated fat - they do NOT cause heart disease.
(ii)Taking statins will not add a day to your life and they expose you to many debilitating side-effects.

For the last four or five decades we have been misled about the causes of heart disease.

Please tweet or put this post on facebook to help the following message go viral.

Cholesterol and saturated fat do NOT cause heart disease - Statins do NOT save lives and have many detrimental side-effects.

Statins increase the death rate by 53% in intensive care unit patients

This study was published in Intensive Care Medicine 2006 Jan;32(1):160-4

Study title and authors:
Statin therapy prior to ICU admission: protection against infection or a severity marker?

Fernandez R, De Pedro VJ, Artigas A.
Critical Care Center, Hospital de Sabadell, Institut Universitari Parc Tauli, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Parc Taulí s/n, 08208 Sabadell, Spain. rfernandez@cspt.es

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16086178

This study examined the impact of statin therapy on hospital death rates in patients at a high risk of acquiring infections while in an intensive care unit. Data was analysed from 438 patients at high risk of intensive care unit acquired infections, i.e., those receiving mechanical ventilation for more than 96 hours.

The study found that patients who were taking statins had a 53% increased risk of death in hospital compared to patients not on statins.

Statins increase the risk of death by 45% in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2013 Oct 9

 

Study title and authors:

Effect of Statin Therapy on Mortality in Patients With Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Papazian L, Roch A, Charles PE, Penot-Ragon C, Perrin G, Roulier P, Goutorbe P, Lefrant JY, Wiramus S, Jung B, Perbet S, Hernu R, Nau A, Baldesi O, Allardet-Servent J, Baumstarck K, Jouve E, Moussa M, Hraiech S, Guervilly C, Forel JM

Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Nord, Réanimation des Détresses Respiratoires et des Infections Sévères UMR-CNRS 7278, Aix-Marseile Université, Marseille, France.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24108510

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common infection in the intensive care unit and is associated with substantial death rates.

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of statins on 28 day death rates in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter trial performed in 26 intensive care units in France included 300 patients who took either simvastatin or placebo.

The study found that patients taking statins had a 45% increased risk of death in 28 days compared to patients not taking statins.

The trial was due to analyse 1,002 patient but was stopped early because of the excess deaths in the patients taking simvastatin. Papazian commented: "It would have been ethically unacceptable to continue the trial after the interim analysis, which showed higher day-28 mortality in the simvastatin group".

2% increased risk of death for patients with kidney disease who take statins

This study was published in the Lancet 2011 Jun 25;377(9784):2181-92

 

Study title and authors:

The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with simvastatin plus ezetimibe in patients with chronic kidney disease (Study of Heart and Renal Protection): a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Baigent C, Landray MJ, Reith C, Emberson J, Wheeler DC, Tomson C, Wanner C, Krane V, Cass A,

Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21663949/

This study investigated the effect of a daily dose of simvastatin 20 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg in patients with chronic kidney disease. This randomised double-blind trial included 9,270 patients with chronic kidney disease (3,023 on dialysis and 6,247 not) with no known history of myocardial infarction or coronary revascularisation. The trial lasted for 4.9 years and 4,650 patients were assigned to receive simvastatin plus ezetimibe and 4,620 to placebo.

The study found that patients who received simvastatin plus ezetimibe had a 2% increased risk of death compared to the patients who received placebo.

Statin use is associated with an increased risk of adverse events in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery for unstable angina

This study was published in the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery 2005 Jun;27(6):1051-6

Study title and authors:
Preoperative statin use and in-hospital outcomes following heart surgery in patients with unstable angina.

Ali IS, Buth KJ.
Division of Cardiac Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. imtiaz.ali@dal.ca

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15896616

Unstable angina happens when blood flow to the heart is suddenly slowed by narrowed vessels or small blood clots that form in the coronary arteries. Unstable angina is a warning sign that a heart attack may soon occur. It is an emergency. It may happen at rest or with light activity.

This study investigated the effects of preoperative statin use in patients with unstable angina undergoing coronary artery bypass graft / valve surgery. The study matched 534 patients taking statins with 534 patients not on statins from 1,706 patients classified with Canadian Cardiovascular Society Angina Grading IV (the most severe grade of angina).

In this study composite outcome refers to adverse events namely: dying in hospital, needing intra-aortic balloon pump use, heart attack, needing use of a ventilator and stroke.

The study found:
(a) Patients taking statins had a 10% increased risk of death whilst in hospital compared to patients not taking statins.
(b) Patients taking statins had a 14% increased risk of composite outcomes compared to patients not taking statins.



Statin treatment is associated with a higher death rate and a higher risk of heart attack in angioplasty patients

This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine 1994 Nov 17;331(20):1331-7

 

Study title and authors:

Lack of effect of lovastatin on restenosis after coronary angioplasty. Lovastatin Restenosis Trial Study Group.

Weintraub WS, Boccuzzi SJ, Klein JL, Kosinski AS, King SB 3rd, Ivanhoe R, Cedarholm JC, Stillabower ME, Talley JD, DeMaio SJ

Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7935702

This six month, randomized, double-blind trial evaluated the effects of lovastatin in 404 patients who had undergone angioplasty. (Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening narrowed or obstructed arteries). The patients received either lovastatin (40 mg orally twice daily) or placebo.

The study found:
(a) Patients receiving lovastatin had a 200% increased risk of death compared to the patients receiving placebo.
(b) Patients receiving lovastatin had a 177% increased risk of a heart attack compared to the patients receiving placebo.

The data from the study reveals that statin treatment is associated with a higher death rate and a higher risk of heart attack in angioplasty patients.

Statins double the risk of death in patients with coronary artery disease

This study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine 1993 Nov 15;119(10):969-76

Study title and authors:
Coronary angiographic changes with lovastatin therapy. The Monitored Atherosclerosis Regression Study (MARS).

Blankenhorn DH, Azen SP, Kramsch DM, Mack WJ, Cashin-Hemphill L, Hodis HN, DeBoer LW, Mahrer PR, Masteller MJ, Vailas LI, Alaupovic P, Hirsch LJ; MARS Research Group.
University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8214993

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study assessed the effects of lovastatin in patients with coronary artery disease. The trial included 270 patients, 37 to 67 years old who received either 80 mg/day of lovastatin, or placebo.

The study found that the patients receiving lovastatin had a 104% increased risk of death.

Statins are associated with higher death rates, higher cardiac death rates and increased risk of cancer

This study was published in Circulation 2000 Oct 10;102(15):1748-54

 

Study title and authors:

Long-term effects of cholesterol lowering and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on coronary atherosclerosis: The Simvastatin/Enalapril Coronary Atherosclerosis Trial (SCAT).

Teo KK, Burton JR, Buller CE, Plante S, Catellier D, Tymchak W, Dzavik V, Taylor D, Yokoyama S, Montague TJ.

University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. teok@fhs.mcmaster.ca

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11023927

One of the aims of this long-term, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of simvastatin in patients with normal cholesterol levels and with detectable plaque build up in at least three major coronary artery segments. The study lasted for four years and included  a total of 460 patients: 230 received simvastatin and 230, a placebo.

The study found:

(a) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 117% increased risk of death compared to the patients receiving placebo.

(b) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 76% increased risk of cardiac death compared to the patients receiving placebo.

(c) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 225% increased risk of non-cardiac death compared to the patients receiving placebo.

(d) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 9% increased risk of a heart attack compared to the patients receiving placebo.

(e) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 78% increased risk of cancer compared to the patients receiving placebo.

The data from the study reveals that statins are associated with higher death rates, higher cardiac death rates and increased risk of cancer. 

 



Statin treatment increases the risk of death by 301% after balloon angioplasty

This study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology 1997 Oct;30(4):863-9

 

Study title and authors:

Effect of pravastatin on angiographic restenosis after coronary balloon angioplasty. The PREDICT Trial Investigators. Prevention of Restenosis by Elisor after Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty.

Bertrand ME, McFadden EP, Fruchart JC, Van Belle E, Commeau P, Grollier G, Bassand JP, Machecourt J, Cassagnes J, Mossard JM, Vacheron A, Castaigne A, Danchin N, Lablanche JM.

Division of Cardiology B, Hôpital Cardiologique, Lille, France. bertrandme@AOL.com

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9316510

This study investigated the effects of pravastatin treatment after coronary balloon angioplasty. (Coronary angioplasty is accomplished using a balloon-tipped catheter inserted through an artery in the groin or arm to enlarge a narrowing in a coronary artery). In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial, 695 patients were randomized to receive pravastatin (40 mg/day) or placebo for 6 months after successful balloon angioplasty.

The study found that the patients on statin treatment had a 301% increased risk of death compared to the patients receiving placebo.