Statins increase calcium deposits in the arteries by 7%

This study was published in Heart 2006 Sep;92(9):1207-12

Study title and authors
Progressive coronary calcification despite intensive lipid-lowering treatment: a randomised controlled trial.

Houslay ES, Cowell SJ, Prescott RJ, Reid J, Burton J, Northridge DB, Boon NA, Newby DE; Scottish Aortic Stenosis and Lipid Lowering Therapy, Impact on Regression trial Investigators.
Department of Cardiology, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16449511

A coronary artery calcium scan is a test that looks for specks of calcium in the walls of the coronary (heart) arteries. The amount of calcium detected in the coronary arteries is converted to a calcium score. A high coronary artery calcium score is an independent predictor of coronary heart disease events see here.

Calcific aortic stenosis is where calcium deposits narrow the aortic valve of the heart and decreases blood flow from the heart.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of statins on coronary artery calcification in patients with calcific aortic stenosis. The study was a double blind randomised controlled trial, and included 102 patients (who were followed for at least two years) who were randomly assigned to receive either atorvastatin 80 mg daily or placebo.

The study found that patients assigned to statins had a 7% higher increase in coronary artery calcification compared to placebo patients.