It seems statins may cause permanent damage, especially to the nervoous system. please access Dr. Duane Graveline's web site, www.spacedoc.net to read about statin adverse effects. The forum features self reported symptoms and diseases the participants attribute to statin therapy. Dr. Graveline is an MD, has a Masters in Public Health and is a NASA trained astronaut who suffered 2 episodes of transient global amnesia which he finally attributed to Lipitor therapy.
Lower low density lipid cholesterol levels are associated with Parkinson’s disease
Xuemei Huang, MD, PhD,1 Honglei Chen
New York, NY - Data analyzed by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the Wall Street Journal, have identified an association between those taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, but experts are not convinced yet that the risk is real [1].Xuemei Huang, MD, UNC Chapel Hill, has proposed a study to include 1600 patients to determine if statins are associated with Parkinson's disease after discovering low LDL was positively associated with Parkinson's. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/60876.php
Dr. Ralph Edwards, director of drug monitoring for the World Health Organization uncovered a statistically high # of ALS like syndrome cases among individuals who take statins and strongly advocated further testing to determine if there exists such an association. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/559283
Statins also interrupt the pathway to production of selenoproteins (numbering 35 @ poresent), thus interfering with the function of selinium within one's body.Included in the MANY functions of selenium, is that of an antioxidant for the brain. (oxidative streee is theorized to be a part of the major neuro diseases)
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673604157395/abstract
The Lancet 2004; 363:892-894
DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(04)15739-5
Hypothesis
Selenoprotein synthesis and side-effects of statins
Bernd Moosmann PhD a and Christian Behl PhD
Summary
Statins are possibly the most effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolaemia and coronary heart disease. They are generally well tolerated, however, they do cause some unusual side-effects with potentially severe consequences, most prominently myopathy or rhabdomyolysis and polyneuropathy. We noted that the pattern of side-effects associated with statins resembles the pathology of selenium deficiency, and postulated that the mechanism lay in a well established, but often overlooked, biochemical pathway—the isopentenylation of selenocysteine-tRNA[Ser]Sec. A negative effect of statins on selenoprotein synthesis does seem to explain many of the enigmatic effects and side-effects of statins, in particular, statin-induced myopathy.
Just to give the other side of the argument.....remember ALL drugs have UNWANTED side effects....In order to weigh the risks/benefits of a drug, one MUST have the full profile of that drug.