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Should I continue to take statins?

D

))Denise((

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,594
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I've been taking 40mg simvastatin since December 2010 (total cholesterol at that point 5.2) and I'm wondering if I really need to. I know there are differing opinions on them and I don't get muscle cramps.

Background info on me:
Female, age 51, BMI: 28.5, Blood Pressure: Under 120/70, Last total cholesterol 3.0. I have varicose veins and cold feet.
Father died at 59 from heart attack (smoked 40 - 60 cigarettes a day and stressful job) Mother had stroke at 75 (had smoked for 25 years and had high blood pressure).

I've taken part in medical research (CT and MRI scans of my heart) and cardiologist said that my heart was good, I have no narrowing of the arteries around my heart and no calcium deposits.

I have never had a cholesterol test done fasting and I don't know what my LDL/HDL ratios are. I low carb and my last HbA1c was 5.4%. I take Co-enzyme Q10.

I am concerned that vitamin D needs cholesterol to help it round the body and I've been vitamin D deficient (going to get this re-tested tomorrow). Would lowering my cholesterol actually prevent me getting as much vitamin D as I need?

I found a calculator http://www.qintervention.org/index.php which says I may have a 10% risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years and this is only lowered to 8% by taking statins. To me this hardly seems worth it.

I'm not very good at remembering to take the statins at bedtime if I am very tired, so only take them a few days a week.

I know you lot are not doctors, but I would appreciate an opinion on this. Thanks.
 
Yes you should. If you think that they aren't necessary then you should do some research and confront your Doctor.

I'd start with the fact that no-one has ever scientifically demonstrated any benefit for women taking, but you know that no-one here is going to tell you to stop taking your meds.

Love the QR code btw. Does it work? I'm gonna scan it in the morning!
 
I just scanned it - it simply says Denise :thumbup:
 
I've been taking 40mg simvastatin since December 2010 (total cholesterol at that point 5.2) and I'm wondering if I really need to.
Click to expand...

One of my current library books, yet awaiting full digestion, is The Great Cholesterol Con, by Dr Malcolm Kendrick.
I found the following, which may answer your question :

"In short, statins do not save lives in women.
Statins do not save lives in women.
Statins do not save lives in women.
Statins do not save lives in women.
Is it possible to highlight how important this fact actually is ?
STATINS DO NOT SAVE LIVES IN WOMEN !"

and

"someone asked the University of British Columbia researchers the question 'What is the evidence of benefit for primary prevention in women, in heart disease ?' Their reply :

There were 10,990 women in the primary prevention trials ... only coronary events were reported for women, but when these were pooled they were not reduced by statin therapy ... Thus the coronary benefit in primary prevention trials appears to be limited to men.

In short, in primary prevention, statins not only have zero effect on overall mortality, they also have zero effect on reducing heart disease in women. So you get absolutely no benefits at all. I suppose this may all seem almost unbelievable, given the ludicrous levels of hype surrounding statins, but it's true."

I think he's unsupportive of statin therapy, and the money he claims your GP will get for getting your levels below a threshold of 5.

Over to you

Geoff
 
Denise,

Given your family history I would say this is something you need to discuss with your HCP's, the tiredness you are experiencing may be resolved by changing to a different statin....but again this is something you need to discuss with your care team.
 
Thank you for all your replies.

I'm not sure that they are doing me enough benefit to continue taking them. When I mentioned to the cardiologist about my father dying at 59 from a heart attack, he said that was definitely down to smoking the amount he did. The cardiologist also said my heart was fine.

My GP hadn't put me on the statins even though my levels were 5.2, it was an endocrinologist (who I went to see about suspected Cushings Syndrome - didn't have that) who decided that I should go on statins.

My blood pressure is low/normal (my talking BP meter says its optimal), I take metformin which is supposed to protect your heart, I also take omega 3 and garlic oil capsules.

I will see what my vitamin d test comes out at and I am going to try and loose some more weight and do some research into what effects statins have for women. I also think my T2 was caused by drinking too many sweet sugary drinks and wearing out my pancreas and I don't have the type that comes with high blood pressure.
 
My GP says that statins help with the health of the arteries. I had a stroke in 2003, but when my carotid arteries were scanned, they were better than perfect.So why am Itaking the things [low dose 20mg]? tto humour my new doctor.
Hana
 
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