Statins cause muscle damage in 71% of patients

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in The Journal of Pathology Volume 210, Issue 1, pages 94–102, September 2006 and a recipe for meatloaf.

Study title and authors:
Statin therapy induces ultrastructural damage in skeletal muscle in patients without myalgia

A Draeger1, K Monastyrskaya1, M Mohaupt2, H Hoppeler1, H Savolainen3, C Allemann1, EB Babiychuk1

Books:

This study can be accessed at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/path.2018/abstract

This study investigated the relationship between statin drugs and skeletal muscle damage. In the study, skeletal muscle samples were collected from

22 individuals, including 14 who were receiving treatment with statins and eight individuals who had not received statin treatment and served as controls.

 

The study found:

(a) Muscle damage was found in 71% of statin users.

(b) Muscle damage was found in 12% of non users.

(c) There was a ten-fold difference in the proportion of myocyte (muscle cell) fibres exhibiting evidence of damage in statin-treated patients.

(d) To check their findings the researchers took isolated muscle fibres in the laboratory and depleted them of cholesterol, and they observed the same structural abnormalities found in the damaged muscle fibres of the statin-treated patients.

The findings of the study support the hypothesis that statin-induced cholesterol lowering per se contributes to muscle damage.

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Recipe of the day

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

◦1 lb ground pork

Food Mall: Eggs

◦2 lb ground beef

◦1 c almond flour
◦2 eggs
◦1 c of tomato sauce (recipe below)
◦10 slices of bacon
◦s&p

Ingredients for Tomato Sauce:
◦1 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
◦1 1/2 c (about 1) roasted red pepper
◦1/2 onion, roughly chopped
◦4 cloves garlic
◦s&p

Method:
Place your oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350ºF.

In your food processor blend together all the ingredients for the tomato sauce.

In a large bowl use your hands to mix together the ground meats, eggs, almond flour, tomato sauce and salt & pepper. Separate the meatloaf mixture into two 9 inch cake pans. Fill the cake pans to the brim, as the meat loafs will shrink consdierably as they cook. Top with the slices of bacon.

Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and get the bacon crispy, about 10 minutes.

While the meatloaf is baking, pour the rest of the tomato sauce into a small saucepot and simmer over medium heat.

Once cool, remove the meatloaf from the pan and slice on the opposite direction you placed the bacon–against the grain, just like meat. Top with the tomato sauce and serve immediately.