High consumption of cholesterol and saturated fat is associated with a decreased risk of Parkinson's Disease

This study was published in Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 2009 Jan;15(1):47-52

Study title and authors:
Dietary fats, cholesterol and iron as risk factors for Parkinson's disease.

Powers KM, Smith-Weller T, Franklin GM, Longstreth WT Jr, Swanson PD, Checkoway H.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7234, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18424169

This study evaluated the risk between diet and Parkinson's Disease. The dietary habits of 420 patients with Parkinson's were compared with 560 control subjects.

The study found:
(a) Those who consumed the most cholesterol (more than 312 mg per day per 2000 calories) had a 25% reduced risk of Parkinson's compared to those who consumed the least cholesterol (less than 192 mg per day per 2000 calories).
(b)  Those who consumed the most saturated fat (more than 27.5 g per day per 2000 calories) had a 19% reduced risk of Parkinson's compared to those who consumed the least saturated fat (less than 19.9 g per day per 2000 calories).
(c) Those who consumed the most total fat (more than 77.9 g per day per 2000 calories) had an 11% reduced risk of Parkinson's compared to those who consumed the least total fat (less than 60.8 g per day per 2000 calories).
(d) Those who consumed the most polyunsaturated fat (more than 15.1 g per day per 2000 calories) had a 28% INCREASED risk of Parkinson's compared to those who consumed the least polyunsaturated fat (less than 9.8 g per day per 2000 calories).

A high consumption of cholesterol and saturated fat is associated with a decreased risk of Parkinson's Disease.

Statins block the ability of exercise to improve fitness levels

This study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2013 Apr 10. pii: S0735-1097(13)01403-4

 

Study title and authors:

Simvastatin impairs exercise training adaptations.

Mikus CR, Boyle LJ, Borengasser SJ, Oberlin DJ, Naples SP, Fletcher J, Meers GM, Ruebel M, Laughlin MH, Dellsperger KC, Fadel PJ, Thyfault JP.

 

Division of Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23583255

This study sought to determine if simvastatin hindered the positive effects of exercise for obese and overweight adults. The study, which lasted for 12 weeks, included 37 sedentary overweight or obese adults (aged 25-59) with at least two metabolic syndrome risk factors, who completed either:
(i) 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training.
(ii) 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training in combination with simvastatin (40 mg per day).

The study found:
(a) Cardiorespiratory fitness increased by 10% in response to exercise training alone, but was blunted by the addition of simvastatin resulting in only a 1.5% increase.
(b) Skeletal muscle mitochondrial content (the cells' energy production sites) increased by 13% in the exercise only group (a normal response following exercise training) but decreased by 4.5% in the simvastatin plus exercise group.

One of the study authors, John Thyfault, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, concluded: “Daily physical activity is needed to maintain or improve fitness, and thus improve health outcomes. However, if patients start exercising and taking statins at the same time, it seems that statins block the ability of exercise to improve their fitness levels.”

Regular aspirin use is associated with an increased risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration

This study was published in the JAMA Internal Medicine 2013 Feb 25;173(4):258-64

Study title and authors:
The association of aspirin use with age-related macular degeneration.

Liew G, Mitchell P, Wong TY, Rochtchina E, Wang JJ.
Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23337937

Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either dry (non-neovascular) or wet (neovascular). Neovascular refers to growth of new blood vessels in an area, such as the macula, where they are not supposed to be. Dry age-related macular degeneration is an early stage of the disease and may result from the aging and thinning of macular tissues, depositing of pigment in the macula or a combination of the two processes.The wet form of the disease usually leads to more serious vision loss.

The objective of the study was to determine whether regular aspirin use is associated with a higher risk for developing age-related macular degeneration. The study included 2,389 participants who were followed for 15 years.

The study found:
(a) Aspirin use was not associated with the incidence of dry age-related macular degeneration.
(b) Regular aspirin users had a 146% higher risk of developing wet age-related macular degeneration.
(c) The higher the aspirin dose, the higher the risk of developing the disease.

Regular aspirin use is associated with an increased risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Statin therapy causes memory complaints and mood changes

This paper was published in Pharmacotherapy 2010;30(6):236e–240e

Study title and authors:

Changes in Memory Function and Neuronal Activation Associated with Atorvastatin Therapy
Beth A. Parker, Ph.D., Donna M. Polk, M.D., Vimal Rabdiya, M.D., Shashwath A. Meda, M.S., Karen Anderson, R.N., Keith A. Hawkins, Psy.D., Godfrey D. Pearlson, M.D., and Paul D. Thompson, M.D.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.pharmacotherapy.org/Case_Reports/Pharm3006e_Parker-CR.pdf

This paper, headed by Dr Beth Parker from the Hartford Hospital, describes a 65-year-old man who reported cognitive complaints (memory complaints and mood changes) after taking atorvastatin 10 mg/day for one year. He had no history of alcohol consumption, major head trauma, psychiatric problems, or memory impairment.

(i) After one year of taking the statin the patient described his complaints as “fuzzy thinking” and “brain fog.” His wife also noted that the patient demonstrated a progressive decline in cognitive function and memory accompanied by increasing mood changes.

(ii) Cognitive testing and assessment of neuronal activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (procedure that measures brain activity) were performed during a working memory task while he was receiving atorvastatin therapy.
(iii) The patient demonstrated altered neuronal activation and reduced performance on the cognitive tests, which was consistent with his cognitive symptoms.
(iv) He stopped taking atorvastatin. The cognitive tests were repeated two months after discontinuation of the drug and the patient exhibited improved cognitive test performance and fMRI patterns similar to those expected in a healthy individual.
(v) The patient also reported subjective improvement of his cognitive complaints within days of cessation of atorvastatin.

Dr Parker concludes that a: "growing number of reports suggest that statins evoke adverse cognitive effects".

High saturated fat consumption and high cholesterol levels are associated with a reduced risk of osteoporotic fractures

This study was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 Sep;61(9):1114-20

Study title and authors:
Dietary fat intake and the risk of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly.

Martínez-Ramírez MJ, Palma S, Martínez-González MA, Delgado-Martínez AD, de la Fuente C, Delgado-Rodríguez M.
Service of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital of Jaén & Division of Medicine, University of Jaén, Navarra, Spain. mamartinez@unav.es

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17299494

The aim of this study was to explore the association between fat intake, cholesterol levels and the risk of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. (Osteoporotic fractures are defined as fractures associated with low bone mineral density and include clinical spine, forearm, hip and shoulder fractures). The study was a hospital-based case-control study and included 167 patients (aged 65 years or more) with a low-energy fracture and 167 patients without fractures.

The study found:
(a) Those who consumed the most saturated fat (more than 34 grams per day) had a 20% reduced risk of osteoporotic fractures compared with those who consumed the least saturated fat (less than 23 grams per day).
(b) Those who consumed the most polysaturated fat (more than 18 grams per day) had a 488% increased risk of osteoporotic fractures compared with those who consumed the least polysaturated fat (less than 11 grams per day).
(c) Those with the highest cholesterol levels (more than 241 mg/dL or 6.2 mmol/L) had a 6% reduced risk of osteoporotic fractures compared with those with the lowest cholesterol levels (less than 191 mg/dL or 4.9 mmol/L).
(d) Those with the highest levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (more than 62 mg/dL or 1.6 mmol/L) had a 71% reduced risk of osteoporotic fractures compared with those with the lowest levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (less than 45 mg/dL or 1.1 mmol/L).

High saturated fat consumption and high cholesterol levels are associated with a reduced risk of osteoporotic fractures, whereas a high consumption of polysaturated fat was associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures.

Low cholesterol levels associated with an earlier death in the elderly

This study was published in the International Journal of Cardiology 2013 Apr 8

Study title and authors:
Prognosis in the hospitalized very elderly: The PROTEGER study.

Zhang Y, Protogerou AD, Iaria P, Safar ME, Xu Y, Blacher J.
Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23578896

The study investigated the association of various cardiac related factors with death rates in the elderly. The study included 331 hospitalised elderly patients, (average age 87years) who were followed for 378 days.

Regarding cholesterol levels, the study found:
(a) Patients who died had 12% lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol than patients who survived.
(b) Patients who died had 7% lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol than patients who survived.

In this study, elderly patients who died had lower cholesterol levels than patients who survived.

Men taking statins have an 11% increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer

This study was published in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases 2013 Apr 9

Study title and authors:
Statin use and risk of prostate cancer and high-grade prostate cancer: results from the REDUCE study.

Freedland SJ, Hamilton RJ, Gerber L, Banez LL, Moreira DM, Andriole GL, Rittmaster RS.
Surgery Section, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23567655

This study examined the association between statins and prostate cancer and low-grade and high-grade prostate cancer. The study included 6,729 men, aged 50-75 years, who were followed for four years. (low-grade cancer is likely to develop more slowly than high-grade cancer).

The study found:
(a) Men taking statins had a 5% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.
(b) Men taking statins had a 3% increased risk of low-grade prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.
(c) Men taking statins had an 11% increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.

Men taking statins developed prostate cancer more frequently than men not taking statins.