Quick reminder our new sister company, OPTIMAL TESTING, is now running.
We are direct to practitioners ONLY (we do not talk to patients), so you create an account, and then order for each patient from the test menu.
Test goes to patient, and then you get the results back and pass them on to the patient.
Finger prick and venous options plus a blood draw finder.
Well, the dust has barely settled on the media regurgitating the great news that statins are essentially risk free:
You can re-read my take on it here
And along comes another set of researchers to ruin the whole thing with more INDEPENDENT DATA, that says the opposite.
Between 2006 – 2010, 500,000 people were assessed as part of the UK Biobank prospective study which included sociodemographic and lifestyle information, medical history, medication use, physical measurements and biological samples.
In 2014, 75,000 were reassessed, and 35,557 were included in the longitudinal study and approximately 300,000 in the cross sectional part.
The results were, very, VERY clear on grip strength and lean appendicular mass.
Over roughly 10 years of follow up, continuous statin use was associated with an accelerated decline in both grip strength and muscle mass.
The decline in grip strength was approximately 25% greater in statin users, while appendicular lean mass declined by around 73% more compared with non users.
The authors concluded that continuous statin use is associated with a measurable decline in muscle function and mass over time.
“Our study indicates that continuous statin use is associated with a decline in muscle function and mass, irrespective of statin pharmacogenomic score. Muscle function and mass are closely linked to mobility, physical performance and health outcomes in aging populations. Preserving muscle health with age is essential for maintaining independence in daily activities and reducing the risk of frailty and falls. As statins are typically prescribed to individuals over 40, the long-term preservation of muscle function and mass is essential for maintaining independence in daily activities, preventing frailty and reducing the risk of falls in older adults”
The mechanism?
Well, this study wasn’t designed to determine that, but they specifically mention CO-Q10.
We have talked about that many times before.
Statins as a class are HMG-CoA reductase INHIBITORS, stopping the production of mevalonate, which stops production of CHOLESTEROL and Co Enzyme Q10.
And CoQ10 holds a rate limiting step in energy production.
And there is no doubt this does happen to some patients.
At a low level, this leads to reduced activity and potentially, as a result of that lower muscle mass, more weight gain and an increase in overall morbidity. Which is what we see part of in this most recent study.
But note that, at a more severe level, this can produce myopathy, with elevated creatine kinase levels in the blood.
Remember also, vitamin D is a form of cholesterol and so also goes down with statins.
Also, note statins are linked to TENDONITIS and tendon RUPTURE.
Note in the latter study, of those patients that stopped statin therapy, seven restarted, and all seven had a recurrence of tendinopathy.
This is exactly why we have the statin bundle with our patented form of CoQ10, Ubiqsome (tested on statin patients with muscle issues).
Re-read the research summary here 👇
And our sublingual vitamin D/K2.
Hence, we have the STATIN BUNDLE:
Is muscle strength linked to falls and thus fractures?
Very clearly yes, though not muscle mass.
“Measures of muscle strength and function appeared to perform better for fracture risk prediction. Of these, hand grip strength and gait speed are likely to be the most practical measures for inclusion in clinical practice”
We love grip strength as a great proxy for overall strength and recognised for screening for sarcopenia.
When muscle health declines, the issue is not only pain. Loss of strength reduces stability, increases fall risk, and may raise the likelihood of fragility fracture, particularly in older adults.
Remember we talked about the MORBIDITY CURVE? Loss of function is something that picks up speed faster and faster unless we fight it.
Square the morbidity curve !!
Re-read, this is important 👇
If you are not resistance training, you need to be 💪
