Statins are the most successful drugs in history. It’s estimated that more than 20 million people take drugs like Crestor, Lipitor, lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin. Over the past decade, sales have reached hundreds of billions of dollars.
For people with heart disease, these medications lower cholesterol and save lives. But three fourths of the statin prescriptions in the U.S. are written for people who don’t actually have heart disease. They just have elevated cholesterol levels, and their doctors are trying to prevent problems.
Is this a good idea? A recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (June 28, 2010) throws doubt on the value of these drugs for people without heart disease. Investigators analyzed data from 11 clinical trials involving more than 65,000 people without heart disease. They did have elevated cholesterol and other risk factors.
There was no evidence statins saved lives in these participants.
Yet questions remain about long-term benefits and risks. One comment at www.peoplespharmacy.com notes: “I’m a neurologist who has seen countless cases of mild muscle weakness and several cases of profound weakness cured by stopping statins. There are a host of other statin side effects, including cognitive compromise and neuropathy, that go unaddressed.”
The possible link between statins and ALS is controversial but unsettling. Here is one woman’s story: “Two years ago, my cardiologist prescribed Zocor to treat moderately high cholesterol. Within a month, I had to take Vicodin for severe muscle pain; even small efforts like getting out of bed were extremely painful. I decided to stop taking Zocor, and the muscle pain decreased over time.
“My cardiologist strongly urged me to take another statin. Soon after starting Lipitor I noticed that I sometimes slurred a few words when I talked, and I ‘ran out of air’ after only a few words. I had to take short ‘catch-up’ breaths to finish sentences. I also choked on food and medications.
“I told my cardiologist about these problems, but he seemed unconcerned. In a few months, my speech, choking and breathing had worsened considerably, and the cardiologist ordered a CT brain scan. It showed no signs of a stroke or other abnormalities. I was referred to a neurologist.
“The neurologist ordered an MRI of the brain and commented that I had ‘extremely weak muscles.’ (At this point, knowing that statins can cause muscle weakness, I quit taking Lipitor.) But he refused to answer any of my questions or tell me what was wrong.
“Another neurologist reviewed my tests (including the MRI), and ruled out a tumor or a stroke. He wants to test for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), but I have not consented because weak muscles, speech and breathing problems are my only symptoms.
“None of my doctors will even consider the possibility that Lipitor caused my condition. It is documented that statins are tied to muscle weakness. Statins have also been associated with slurred speech and ‘ALS-like symptoms.'”
In a postscript several months later, she reported: “I have been diagnosed with ALS. Do I blame statin drugs? Yes. Am I heart-broken? Yes. Am I scared? To death.”
It is unclear whether statins trigger ALS, but we urgently need to learn about their long-term benefits and risks.
