Statins may cause a huge rise in breast cancer risk

This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine 1996 Oct 3;335(14):1001-9

Study title and authors:
The effect of pravastatin on coronary events after myocardial infarction in patients with average cholesterol levels. Cholesterol and Recurrent Events Trial investigators.

Sacks FM, Pfeffer MA, Moye LA, Rouleau JL, Rutherford JD, Cole TG, Brown L, Warnica JW, Arnold JM, Wun CC, Davis BR, Braunwald E.
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8801446

This study, named the Cholesterol and Recurrent Events Trial (CARE) investigated the effects of statins in patients with coronary disease, who have average (below 240 mg/dL or 6.2 mmol/L) cholesterol levels. The study was a double-blind, placebo controlled trial lasting five years and included 4,159 patients who received either 40 mg of pravastatin per day or placebo.

The study found:
(a) Those taking statins had a 19% reduced risk of death from coronary heart disease compared to placebo.
(b) Those taking statins had a 45% increased risk of death due to cardiovascular but noncoronary causes compared to placebo.
(c) Those taking statins had a 100% increased risk of violent death compared to placebo.
(d) Those taking statins had a 9% increased risk of death from cancer compared to placebo.
(e) Those taking statins had a 7% increased risk of any cancer compared to placebo.
(f) Women taking statins had a 1100% increased risk of breast cancer compared to placebo.

Dr Uffe Ravnskov, an expert in cholesterol, statins and heart disease, commented in his book 'The Cholesterol Myths': "Considering the large number of participants, this result doesn't seem particularly impressive... In fact, the reduction in coronary heart disease deaths was offset by the fact that in the treatment (statin) group a few more had died from other causes".



Statin treatment increases the risk of death from cancer

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2002 Dec 18;288(23):2998-3007

Study title and authors:

Major outcomes in moderately hypercholesterolemic, hypertensive patients randomized to pravastatin vs usual care: The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT-LLT).

ALLHAT Officers and Coordinators for the ALLHAT Collaborative Research Group. 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12479764

This study, which lasted for 6 years, was designed to determine whether pravastatin compared with patients usual medical care, reduces death rates in patients aged 55 or older who have high cholesterol and blood pressure and other heart disease risk factors. 10,355 participants were enrolled in the study and were assigned into 2 groups where they received either 40 mg of pravastatin a day or their usual medical care.

The researchers found at the end of the 6 year study:
(a) Heart disease death rates were virtually identical in both groups.
(b) Those who took statins had an 11% increased risk of death from cancer compared to those who did not take statins.
(c) Those who took statins had an 7% increased risk of suicide/homocide/accidental death compared to those who did not take statins.

The results of this study suggest that statin treatment increases the risk of death from cancer.



Links to other studies:
Statins may promote cancer in certain segments of the population
Statins raise prostate cancer risk of obese men
Young women who are treated with statins may be at increased risk for the development of breast cancer

Statins increase aggression in women

This study was published in the Journal of Womens Health 2008 Mar;17(2):187-94

Study title and authors:

Lipid-lowering medication use and aggression scores in women: a report from the NHLBI-sponsored WISE study.

Olson MB, Kelsey SF, Matthews KA, Bairey Merz CN, Eteiba W, McGorray SP, Cornell CE, Vido DA, Muldoon MF.

Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18321170

The aim of this study was to examine the association between the use of cholesterol lowering medication and aggression. The study measured aggression levels in 498 women who had suspected heart disease.

The study revealed that women on cholesterol lowering medication (88% were on statins) had higher aggression levels than those not on medication.