Statins: Heart disease drug speeds up ageing process, warns new research

STATINS make regular users become older faster, leaving them open to long-term mental and physical decline, according to disturbing new research.

By LUCY JOHNSTON
Scientists have found the heart disease drug badly affects our stem cells, the internal medical system which repairs damage to our bodies and protects us from muscle and joint pain as well as memory loss. Last night experts warned patients to “think very carefully” before taking statins as a preventative medicine.
A GP expert in the field said: “They just make many patients feel years older. Side effects mimic the ageing process.”
The new research by scientists at Tulane University in New Orleans has reignited the debate about statin side effects which many doctors say have been played down.
They include memory loss, muscle pain, diabetes, cataracts, liver dysfunction, diabetes, fatigue and memory loss. Professor Reza Izadpanah, a stem cell biologist and lead author of the research published in the American Journal of Physiology, said: “Our study shows statins may speed up the ageing process. “People who use statins as a preventative medicine for heath should think again as our research shows they may have general unwanted effects on the body which could include muscle pain, nerve problems and joint problems.”............ 

BBC NEWS | Health | Statin-fortified drinking water?

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3931157.stm

1 Aug 2004 - Has cardiovascular disease become so common that statins may as well be added to the water supply?

11 years to find out they do more harm than good.