It has finally been revealed the fact that the long-term use of statins causes heart disease. Check out the following reports about this below.
Statins can cause heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally, and statins have been viewed as the reliable heroes in the battle against it for decades.
However, a new expert review suggests that the long-term use of statins may have an inadvertent negative impact by accelerating coronary artery calcification instead of providing protection.
The review, published in Clinical Pharmacology, suggests that statins may act as “mitochondrial toxins,” impairing muscle function in the heart and blood vessels by depleting coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an antioxidant that cells use for growth and maintenance.
Multiple studies have shown that statins inhibit CoQ10 synthesis, leading many patients to supplement it.
CoQ10 is essential for producing ATP, which is the cell’s fundamental energy carrier. Insufficient CoQ10 inhibits ATP production, resulting in an energy deficit that the review authors say “could be a major cause for heart muscle and coronary artery damage.
“We believe that many years of statin drug therapy result in the gradual accumulation of mitochondrial DNA damage,” according to the authors.
In 2022, a study was published in Biophysical Journal that found a link between reduced ATP and heart failure. Another study published in BioFactors in 2008 reaffirms the link between statins and CoQ10.
The researchers evaluated 50 statin patients to check for side effects such as fatigue and muscle pain. All the patients stopped taking statins and supplemented CoQ10 for around 22 months on average. The majority of patients either showed improvement or their heart function remained stable.
The researchers concluded that the side effects of statins, including statin cardiomyopathy, are more common than previously published and can be treated by discontinuing statins and supplementing CoQ10.
The review also found that statins can impair the production of vitamin K, which is essential in managing calcification. Optimal intake of vitamin K2 can help avoid plaque buildup of atherosclerosis, which is the thickening or hardening of the arteries, and keep the risk of calcification low.
Coronary calcification happens when calcium accumulates in the walls of the coronary arteries that provide oxygen to the heart, according to official notes.
This plaque buildup is a sign of early coronary artery disease, which can block blood flow and trigger a heart attack.
