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Health June 2012

Aid for Age

More Problems with Statin Medications – Now Also Linked to Increased Risk of Diabetes

By Tait Trussell

Those who seem to be at more risk when taking statins, according to the Mayo report, are those who take multiple medications for cholesterol, women, people having a small body frame, age 65 or older, have kidney or liver disease or diabetes.

While statins are now among the most prescribed drugs on planet Earth, a Mayo Clinic staff report says the side effects for many people could be dangerous.

Statins are often recommended by doctors to lower cholesterol. They include Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor, among others. About 20 million Americans take one or another statin. But doubts about widespread use of statins are growing, despite their beneficial effects of driving down the lowering cholesterol. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) some months ago warned of increased risks of diabetes, memory loss, and muscle pain.

Beatrice Golomb, M.D., associate professor of Medicine at University of California, San Diego, said attention on muscle pain is long overdue. “Muscle pain and fatigue are now clearly becoming a top concern,” she said. “There is a huge spectrum in the degree of severity. Some people are essentially disabled...and can no longer get out of a chair.” She added, however, that some people, once they discontinue the medication, regain their strength and symptoms disappear.

The Mayo report said very rarely do statins cause life-threatening muscle damage. But they can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, and kidney failure. Although liver problems are relatively rare, the Mayo report said, your doctor will likely order a liver enzyme test when you begin taking a statin. The report adds: Contact your doctor right away is you have unusual weakness or fatigue.

Some people taking statins may develop nausea, gas, diarrhea, or constipation. These side effects are rare, the report said, and most people who have these side effects already have some digestive disorder.

Your blood sugar level may increase when taking a statin. This might lead to type 2 diabetes. Although the risk is small, the FDA has issued a warning on statin labels regarding statins and type 2 diabetes.

Some research has been done on whether statins could be linked to memory less or Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). The FDA had a warning put on statin labels that some people have had memory loss or confusion. Such side effects have stopped when the patient quits taking the statin. Don’t stop taking a statin if it was prescribed unless you talk with your physician first.

Those who seem to be at more risk when taking statins, according to the Mayo report, are those who take multiple medications for cholesterol, women, people having a small body frame, age 65 or older, have kidney or liver disease or diabetes.

I used to take Lipitor. I suffered no side effects. But I stopped taking it a year or so ago and, amazingly, I’m still alive.

The state of the economy is making an impact on the use of statins and all other drugs. Data from an Internet Survey of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) show that more than 1 in 5 (21.5 percent) of those aged 50 or above made prescription drug changes such as switching to cheaper generic drugs, getting free samples, stopping pills or reducing dosages, and nearly as many (19.4 percent) skipped or postponed doctor appointments to save money.

Among those in (self-reported) poor health, 29.9 percent made prescription drug changes and 36.5 percent skipped or postponed doctor appointments to save money. For those in excellent health, the comparable numbers were 15.3 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively.

 

Tait Trussell is an old guy and fourth-generation professional journalist who writes extensively about aging issues among a myriad of diverse topics.

Meet Tait