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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 5:32 pm Post subject: Statins and memory
1) A 65 year-old male with a history of a left-sided stroke at age 62, placed on Lipitor for high cholesterol. The patient then experienced occasional (but persistent) cramping in the left-leg and left-arm weakness and short-term memory loss. Lipitor was continued for 34 months, then stopped. After six weeks there was a gradual increase in left arm strength and an improvement in his short-term memory. The left leg cramps were infrequent while on Lipitor, but seemed to cease after the drug was discontinued. He was then started on Pravachol without recurrence of similar side-effects.
2) A 42 year-old business man with moderate obesity and a total cholesterol of 246 was placed on Lescol. Despite a weight loss of 30 pounds through exercise and the Atkins diet, his cholesterol only decreased to 208. At the patient's request, the Lescol was discontinued in favor of Lipitor. After three months the total cholesterol decreased to the 170s. The patient then started to experience mild confusion and short-term memory loss.
3) A 56 year-old male was on Lipitor for three years and began to experience significant progressive short-term memory loss. He is now unable to recite the events of the current day, and perseverates when telling stories.
4) A 56 year-old male with high cholesterol has been treated for two years with Zocor. He has now experienced increasing memory loss and was diagnosed with Alzheimers dementia and progressive cortical atrophy. He can no longer hold a job and has lost the ability to drive a car.
5) A college student (age & sex not given) with a history of high cholesterol and coronary heart disease, underwent coronary by-pass surgery and was started on Lipitor--and then began to experience memory loss. Despite acceptable cholesterol levels, a repeat catheterization showed significant re-stenosis of both the native arteries and by-pass grafts.
COMMENTS:
An explanation for the effects of the statin drugs on cognitve function came on 9 November 2001, when Dr. Frank Pfrieger (of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science) announced to the world the discovery of the elusive factor responsible for the development of synapses, the highly specialized contact sites between adjacent neurons in the brain. Not surprisingly, this discovery confirmed what specialists in the field had suspected--that the synaptogenic factor was the notorious substance cholesterol!
The glial cells of the brain, which provide support and protection for neurons, have long been suspected of performing certain housekeeping functions. Studies have shown that they produce their own supply of cholesterol for the specific purpose of providing nerve cells with this vital synaptic component. Since the lipoproteins that mediate the transport of cholesterol (including both LDL and HDL) are too large to pass through the blood-brain barrier, the brain cannot tap into the cholesterol supply in the blood. Therefore the brain must depend upon its own cholesterol synthesis, which the glial cells provide. The highly lipophilic statin drugs (Lipitor, Zocor) more easily cross the blood-brain barrier, and thus can directly interfere with glial cell synthesis of cholesterol.
The advent of the stronger statin drugs within the past decade has contributed to a flood of patient reports of impaired cognition. These complaints range from transient global amnesia to aggravation of pre-existing senility. Forgetfulness, disorientation and confusion have been added to the astounding findings of Muldoon that 100% cognitive impairment is demonstrable in statin users--if a sufficiently sensitive test battery is used. The mechanism of this side effect is clearly rooted in the biosynthesis of cholesterol and clearly fundamental to neurophysiologic mechanisms. Only in the past several years have we learned the importance of cholesterol in brain function. Imagine, cholesterol (the same compound that the pharmaceutical industry has declared to be public health enemy number one), has now been shown to be absolutely vital in the formation and function of the trillions of synapses within our brain.
Millions of patients are now taking a Statin drug, and are thus at significant risk for cognitive side effects. Transient global amnesia (TGA) is just the tip of the iceberg--for every reported case of TGA there are hundreds of older patients that report impaired memory, disorientation and confusion. But these reports rarely get mentioned, as all too frequently, this group is willing to accept old age, "senior moments" or incipient senility as the cause of their symtoms; particularly when their physicians are also ignorant about this particular side effect of the statin drugs.
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 2:41 am Post subject: memory loss with Statin drugs
my 65 year old husband started having memory problems after he started on Niaspam and Vytorin, he was still working but having trouble remembering from day to day what he was working on. We reported this to our family Doctor and the Endocrinologist who prescribed the drugs, no one ever told us it could be the drugs. My husband had planned to work until he was 67 so he could get a full pension but he had to cut it short and retire at 64 because of his memory lapses. I had noticed that sometimes he seemed confused about where we were and he couldn't remember how to get to places he's been to many times, I just though it was normal aging at the time. The doctors who are prescribing these drugs really need to let you know what can happen. I had heard something about muscles and blood tests, but never a word about all the other things that happened as a result of taking statin drugs. The Doctor's don't recognize the symptoms when you tell them about it, how many people will die before they stop handing out these dangerous drugs.
Joined: 24 Oct 2006 Posts: 683 Location: Ongar, UK
Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2008 4:41 am Post subject:
There is no mystery about the various side effects of statins. If doctors went back to their textbooks and biochemistry notes they would understand the implications of downregulating mevalonic acid. The following diagram shows the subsequent downregulation of a rather vital substance called farnesyl pyrophosphate...
When you get a chance, consider "Alzheimer's Solved (Condensed Edition)" by Henry Lorin. I am ordering three more copies today to get to three local physicians. Let's call it part of Biologist's "Pharma-Free Continuing Education for Physicians," a service I provide for a few -- one is for the physician who screwed me up on statins (where his getting sued by me, or not, this year is partly a function of how much he learns and changes his ways), one is for the one who is well informed and anti-statin, my HRT physician; and another, a plastic surgeon, who went on statins himself a couple of years ago of an acute and chronic case of terminal statin ignorance -- if he had the dexterity of my fingers, he'd would be out of business today, my guitar playing days are sure over). I mention this as an opportunity to "update the science" here. I have previously written that the brain is independent of systemic cholesterol levels as is also suggested here (quoted from this thread directly above) and was partly the source of my information. Newer research shows that the brain can and does depend on systemic cholesterol in addition to its manufacturing its own per Lorin's book where he cites the research from the last few years. A different lipoprotein carrier is involved that is much smaller in size and does cross the BBB. Here is the text that is no longer strictly accurate in that regard from the excellent post above:
"The glial cells of the brain, which provide support and protection
for neurons, have long been suspected of performing certain
housekeeping functions. Studies have shown that they produce
their own supply of cholesterol for the specific purpose of providing
nerve cells with this vital synaptic component. Since the
lipoproteins that mediate the transport of cholesterol (including
both LDL and HDL) are too large to pass through the blood-brain
barrier, the brain cannot tap into the cholesterol supply in the
blood. Therefore the brain must depend upon its own cholesterol
synthesis, which the glial cells provide. The highly lipophilic statin
drugs (Lipitor, Zocor) more easily cross the blood-brain barrier,
and thus can directly interfere with glial cell synthesis of
cholesterol."
I am ordering some other books today and will order the book you recommended recently by Naomi Klein (*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Klein ), "The Shock Doctrine." I have a hunch it is just more details and specifics for me though. I think I am fairly well aware of how the world works in general. Interesting that she is from Canada. Partly helps explain her bravery. Americans are a scared bunch, part paranoia, part reality. I will also order Melody Petersen's book too *http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05162008/watch2.html) -- plus a few medical/science-type books.
Joined: 24 Oct 2006 Posts: 683 Location: Ongar, UK
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject:
Looks like Ms Peterson is telling it like it is. I have 2 or 3 books about the Pharma industry and they make grim reading but we shouldn't be surprised.
After all, corporations are legal "persons" whose sole raison d'être is to make a profit for their owners. In their single-mindedness of selfish purpose and complete absence of conscience and empathy they can be clinically classified as psychopathic entities.
Only a big stick can keep them in line but who can wield a stick big enough to intimidate multi-national corporations?
Only informed consumers refusing their products, thereby collapsing markets. A somewhat tall order given incessant brainwashing by corporate media.
The next book I will be giving my doctors as part of their ongoing education is Joel Kaufmann's "Malignant Medical Myths". It is suitably reference-rich!
I agree Ames has a good site and he has a lot of accomplishments. I will check it out real well. Just getting to it. This is some pretty relevant reading right here from his home page. Looks like we have been doing the right thing regarding Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid. There is a recent thread on what we can do about mitochondrial problems. This ranks up at the top as far as I am concerned. ALA was not mentioned in the advice Dr. G. had given as I remember. I think it should be added to the treatment list. When I mentioned to the doctor that had me on Zocor for years that I was taking it to address statin damage he looked shocked for a second and repeated what I had said "Alpha Lipoic Acid?!" The next visit months later, he said at least two times to continue my supplements. It later crossed my mind that he had researched ALA on PubMed or something similar. The research is endless, and its all good. I just finished reading TWO books on ALA. It is pretty remarkable what it can do.
BTW, I spent some time on Jeff's site this weekend and also read a lot of the comments from his World Health Organization petition. He is doing good work! Interesting how doctors are being directly compensated for prescribing statins in England these days. Phama must have a hell of a grip there too.
Here's Ames text that I liked:
"Mitochondrial decay with age due to oxidation of RNA/DNA, proteins, and lipids, is a major contributor to aging and the degenerative diseases of aging. In old rats (vs. young rats) mitochondrial membrane potential, cardiolipin level, respiratory control ratio, and cellular O2 uptake are lower; oxidants/02, neuron RNA oxidation, and mutagenic aldehydes from lipid peroxidation are higher (1-3). Feeding old rats the normal mitochondrial metabolites acetyl carnitine (ALC) and lipoic acid (LA) at high levels for a few weeks reverses much of this decay, the two complementing each other, in some cases synergistically, and restores the lost mitochondrial function to the level of young mitochondria (1-3). Ambulatory activity, cognition, heart, and immune function decline with age and feeding ALC and LA to the old rats also restores a good part of the lost function (1-4). Considerable progress has been made in understanding the mechanism of action of the two metabolites (1-3, 5, 6). LA is a mitochondrial coenzyme and is reduced in the mitochondria to a potent antioxidant, dihydrolipoic acid. LA is also an effective inducer of the phase-2 antioxidant enzymes, about 200 enzymes including those required for glutathione synthesis (5, 6).
Inadequate intakes of vitamins and minerals from food can lead to DNA damage, mitochondrial decay, and other pathologies (7). Intakes below the EAR, i.e. 2 standard deviations <RDA, are widespread (e.g. in the U.S.: 56% for magnesium; 12% for zinc; 16% menstruating women for iron; 16% of women for folate) (7). Intakes <EAR are particularly widespread among the poor, African-Americans, teenagers, the obese, and the elderly (7). Inadequate intake of folate, B12, or B6 leads to uracil incorporation into DNA and chromosome breaks ---a radiation mimic (8, 9). Inadequate zinc in human cells in culture causes release of oxidants, oxidative damage to DNA, and inactivation of p53 and other zinc enzymes involved in DNA damage repair (10, 11). Inadequate iron intake inactivates Complex IV in mitochondria, which causes oxidant release, mitochondrial decay, and DNA damage; in the brain complex IV inactivation mimics the neurodegeneration of aging (12, 13). Biotin inadequacy from food is present in 40% of pregnant women; biotin deficiency in human cells in culture leads to oxidant release, DNA damage, accelerated mitochondrial decay, and premature senescence (14). Magnesium deficiency in human cells in culture causes mtDNA- protein crosslinks, accelerated telemore shortening, and premature senescence (15). I suggest evolutionary allocation of scarce micronutrients by enzyme triage is an explanation of why DNA damage is commonly found on micronutrient deficiency (7). We are developing sensitive assays for measuring DNA damage in human blood (16) so as to determine what level of each micronutrient is optimum for keeping DNA damage to a minimum."
You don't normally feel sorry for Pharma Executives, but think a minute about the terror they live. Put yourself in their shoes. Isn't it only a matter of time before some legal action or another forces the announcement that women's prescribed statins not only rags them out and shorten their lives, but wrinkles them up, thins their skin, ruins their muscle tone and makes them gain weight !! Picture the legions of seething cosmopolitan city girls and the millions of militant suburban soccer moms as they hear the news on the tube while feverishly slaving away in gyms and spas across the land. When they realize they've been paying Pharma to prematurely age them it's not going to be a pretty sight! Hell hath no furry like a woman scorned? Forget all that! Hell ain't seen nothing yet 'til it see's how a hoard of seething warrior fems can tear a man limb from limb after clawing and chewing through locked security gates and mansion doors...
Actually it's local doctors who face this dilemma; and of course, it is ostrification: financial and social demotion, rather than physical harm. Should a mainstream publication decide the profits of a potentially increased circulation (as a truth-teller) exceed the revenue loss of Pharma advertising, then there could be a sudden sea change in public opinion and belief. Vanity Fair or something similar might be the type of publication. Otherwise the mega-meme inertia of the "cholesterol as bad guy" myth will likely prevent any sudden mass awakening, and the resultant furry. Word spreading slowly will give adequate time for physicians to independently adjust their behavior as needed and as convenient.
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