Statin Drugs, Cholesterol, Statin Drugs and Memory Loss by Dr. Duane Graveline-A Book Review

Lipator: Thief of Memory; Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol by, Dr. Duane Graveline-A Book Review. All Rights Reserved Infinity Publishing-ISBN 0744-1881-9

 

Dr. Duane Graveline, Flight Surgeon, former Astronaut, Aerospace Medical Researcher, Scientist and Family Doctor writes this book after losing his memory for a week.

 

Dr. Graveline lost his memory for a week and was hospitalized because of the Statin Drug, Lipitor. His book addressed the little known, dangerous side effects of statin drugs.

 

He details in this book the research on how statin drugs can cause memory loss, depression, and muscle loss/pain and kidney damage.  He also makes the case for vascular inflammation as the greater culprit in cardiovascular disease.

 

Noting that if the Blood vessels were not inflamed that the blood vessels would not be so likely to catch and hold clots of plaque. He cites the role of B Vitamins 6 and 12 in reducing vascular inflammation.

 

Dr. Graveline asks, “What happens if the pilot flying your plane loses his memory from a statin drug and mentally reverts back to being a 10 year old boy before he knew how to fly?”

 

In this book Dr. Graveline expresses concern on page 41 “Biosynthesized in the mitochondria---the tiny powerhouse of the cell that is responsible for cellular respiration and energy—ubiquinone function and vital and necessary electron carrier to our ultimate respiratory enzyme, cytochrome oxidase. Because of the extremely high enery demands of the heart, this organ is usually the first statin-associated CoQ10 depletion as cardiomathy and congestive heart failure.”2, 3 ( 2- Ibid ;3- Keys A Coronary heart disease in seven countries.)

 

Can statin drugs cause congestive heart failure?

 

“Dr. Peter Langsjoen, well–know cardiologist reported at the Weston A. Price Foundation meeting held in Washington D.C. in May 2003 on many cases of statin associated congestive heart failure encountered in his busy cardiology practice. He had become a strong advocate of Co Q10 supplementation for all his patients of statin drugs as well as limiting doses or stopping statins.”

 

“Because of the extremely high energy demands of the heart, this organ is usually the first to feel the statin associated Co Q 10 depletion  as cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure.” Page 41

 

“Low cholesterol is strong independent predictor of impaired survival in older heart failure patients.”  Page 55

“Homocysteine elevation second to vitamin deficiency appears to be a major player…

in heart disease.’  Per Dr .McCully’ persistent research , Page 88.

 Can statin drugs cause polyneuropathy/peripheral neuropathy?

 

“Ubiquinone is a slightly altered form known as ubiquinol is found in all memebranes where it has a vital function in maintaining membrane integrity. Compromise of this important role is though to be involved in both nerve conduction defects associated with statin drugs and muscle cell breakdown. Dr. David Gaist in a study of 116 patients reported a 16 times greater risk of polyneuropathy among long term statin users. This new and very serious side effect of statins should be of special concern to diabetics, many of whom have prescribed statins because of their high risk status. All doctors know that a very common outcome of long standing diabetes is peripheral neuropathy.”

 

Can statin drugs increase your morbidity from cancer? Dr. Uffe Ravnskov’s book, The Cholesterol Myths ( New Trends Publishing 2000) reports of the PROSPER trial published in “Lancet, that statin therapy increased the incidence of caner deaths, completely off setting the slight decrease in deaths from cardiovascular disease and further complicating of reported benefits from statin therapy. Page 36.

 

How can Statin drugs affect memory?

 

“Pfreiger’s group found that nerve cells must have external sources of cholesterol to form synaptic contact. The brain cannot tap the cholesterol to form synaptic contacts. The brain cannot tap the cholesterol supply of the blood for this purpose, since the lipoproteins that transport cholesterol are too big to pass the blood–brain barrier. Therefore, brain cells must make their own cholesterol and, in this highly specialized organ of the body, the glial cells provide that cholesterol.

 

Many questions still exist about the precise mechanism by which cholesterol modulates the formation and function of these magic contact points between cells known as synapse, but there is no longer the slightest doubt that it is vital to this role and must be present in sufficient quantity. Not bad press for a substance defined over the past decades as so notorious it can now be used to frighten small children about their eating habits .”

 

Page 33:  Reference 7 Pfrieger F. Brain researcher discover bright side of ill famed molecule-Science  9 November, 2001

 

“With ubquinones during production is an absolute requirement for bio synthesis by gilial cells for msynapse “ Page 98

 

Can the low or lowered cholesterol level s contribute to depression and low serotonin levels?

 

On Page 55, Dr. Graveline cites “That low or lowered cholesterol also contributes to aggressive behavior, violence, depression and mood disturbances has led to a variety of investigations in the field to propose a cholesterol/serotonin hypothesis to explain the relationships.”

 

9-Kaplan M. Low cholesterol cause aggressive behavior and deptress. Psychomatic Medicine 56, 479-484. 1998. 

10-Bender KJ, Psychiatric Times  15 (5), 1998 

11. Duits N, Bos F. Depressive symptoms and cholesterol lowering drugs. Lancet 341`, Letter, 1999

12-Lechleiter M.  Depressive Symptoms in hyper cholesterol patients treated with pravastatin Lancet  340 ,Letter,  1999

 

What might be the role of  homocysteine/methionine in cardio vascular disease?

  On page 77 ,  “Kilmer McCully’s proposition that arteriosclerosis is largely due to alteration in the homocystine/methionine metabolic pathways with cholesterol assuming a passive role, at best, is rapidly gaining support. Although the jury still is out…”

 

Why is the risk for heart disease and stroke so high?

 

Dr. Graveline questions on page 81 if our increased consumption of carbohydrates increase the American Public risk of heart attacks and strokes rather that cholesterol since,” After 50 years of  low cholesterol/low fat diet we are now a nation of fattened sheep conditioned to the erroneous belief that cholesterol is our enemy and almost with low or no fat is our friend”.

 

Does the Heart and Brain run 25 percent more efficiently on ketones than blood sugar?

 

Richard Veech is quoted by Taubes in an interview as noted on page 83; as “calling ketones" “magic” showing that the heart and brain run 25 percent more efficiently on ketones than on blood suger.” Ketones are generated from burning fat and protein for energy. According to Graveline, “As cave men were on a “Ketosis High,” eating only when we could, not when we wanted to?

 Is heart disease really related to cholesterol?

 On page 87 Dr. Graveline quotes Dr. Dudley White “noted that heart disease in the rome of myocardial infarction was non-existent in the 1900 when egg consumption was high and corn oil was unavailable. When pressed to support the prudent diet, replied, Dr. White I began my practice as a cardiologist, in 1921 and never saw a myocardial infarction patient until 1928. Back in the MI-free days before 1920, the fats were butter and lard and think we would all benefit from the kind of diet that we had at a time when no one had ever heard of corn oil.””

 Dr. Graveline's book is a good read for anyone considering statin drugs or for those folks with family members already on a statin drug.