Statin drugs = cholesterol lowering medications

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Patsy

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PALS
Diagnosis
09/1998
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CA
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Kapuskasing
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jul 26 - Patients with asymptomatic neuromuscular disorders may have their condition precipitated by statin use, according to investigators from the University of Athens Medical School.

Dr. Panagiota Manta and colleagues describe four such cases in the July 24th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

What do you think?
 
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cholesterol drugs and ALS

There does seem to be some buzz on my internet search regarding cholesterol drugs triggering ALS? If this is the case, one would expect the incidence of ALS to have gone up in correlation with their sales numbers. Has this been the case?
 
I don't think so. Numbers of new cases diagnosed and those dying are about the same for the last 5-10 years here in Canada.
 
Patsy and anyone else

Has anyone researched the possibility that ALS may be related also to the drug Neurontin. It is given commonly for back nerve injury to reduce the pain and the company that makes it states that it does not know how it works. But somehow it stops the nerves from relaying the pain to the brain. The reason I am concerned I was on this drug at 2500mg per day for over 10 years due to a spinal injury from a plane accident 18 years ago. If this drug contributed to my ALS in any way it needs to be pulled off the market before others get the same disease.

Here is a partial list of the side effects from the Neurontin website:
"Nervous System:​
Frequent: vertigo, hyperkinesia, paresthesia, decreased or absent reflexes, increased reflexes, anxiety, hostility; Infrequent: CNS tumors, syncope, dreaming abnormal, aphasia, hypesthesia, intracranial hemorrhage, hypotonia, dysesthesia, paresis, ystonia,hemiplegia, facial paralysis, stupor, cerebellar dysfunction, positive Babinski sign, decreased position sense, subdural hematoma, apathy, hallucination, decrease or loss of libido, agitation, paranoia, depersonalization, euphoria, feeling high, doped-up sensation, suicide attempt, psychosis; Rare:oreoathetosis, orofacial dyskinesia, encephalopathy, nerve palsy, personality disorder, increased libido, subdued temperament, apraxia, fine motor control disorder, meningismus, local myoclonus, hyperesthesia, hypokinesia, mania, neurosis, hysteria, antisocial reaction, suicide."
Any comments or where I might find someone who researches such things would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
God Bless
Big AL
 
Sounds like nasty stuff Big AL. Couldn't they find something with less side effects? AL.
 
They probably could but too late now

I just finished filling out a report to the FDA about how the neurontin had affected me. I doubt that it will do any good, but if anyone else out there is taking it, I would reconsider. It's too late for me but maybe someone else might not have to go through this ALS. That is why I was wondering if any scientist or group is studying this drug.
An interesting thing I found out while filling out the form for the FDA is the company that makes the drug, neurontin, is Pfizer and they do not know or have any idea how the drug works? They said that from their own website. You got to be kidding me.
God Bless,
Big AL:cry:
 
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statins, pesticides and nerve gases, PON cluster gene variations and ALS

the following concerns a study reported in a well respected, peer reviewed journal, Neurology, august, 2006, about a genetic variation for coding 3 specific detoxifying enzymes that are directly responsible for metabolizing statin drugs and for detoxifying both pesticides and nerve gases.
there are no reports of the % of the population with these genetic variations--though exposure to these environmental factors--statins, nerve gas and pesticides--in individuals with these genetic variations may be a risk factor for developing the neuromuscular diseases associated with PON gene cluster variants.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060705185155.htm

Source: Northwestern University
Date: July 6, 2006

Variations In Detoxifying Genes Linked To Lou Gehrig's Disease
Genetic variations in three enzymes that detoxify insecticides and nerve gas agents as well as metabolize cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may be a risk factor for developing sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), and possibly responsible for a reported twofold increased risk of ALS in Gulf War veterans.

These findings, from a study led Teepu Siddique, M.D., and colleagues at Northwestern University, open the door to investigating gene-environment interactions as a cause of ALS and other illnesses and to the development of molecular targets for specific treatments. The study was published in the August 22 online issue (available now) of the journal Neurology.

Siddique is Les Turner ALS Foundation/Herbert C. Wenske Professor, Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurosciences, professor of cell and molecular biology and director of the Neuromuscular Disorders Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

ALS is a complex neurodegenerative disorder of the motor neurons that results in muscle weakness, difficulty speaking, swallowing and breathing and eventual total paralysis and death generally within five years.

In 1993 Siddique and collaborators determined that mutations in a gene known as SOD1 account for 20 percent of familial, or inherited, ALS (2 percent of all cases of ALS). However, the cause of sporadic ALS is still unknown.

In earlier research Siddique and other researchers hypothesized that sporadic ALS is modulated by variations in multiple genes interacting with each other and environmental exposures.

The genes for human paraoxanases (PON 1, PON 2 and PON 3), which are located on chromosome 7q21.3, code for the production of detoxifying enzymes involved in the metabolism of a variety of drugs, organophosphate insecticides, such as parathion, diazinon and chlorpyrifos, and nerve gas agents such as sarin.

Previous research described a possible twofold increased risk for developing ALS in veterans of the Gulf War, indicating a war-related environmental exposure to organophosphates and sarin in genetically susceptible individuals as a possible cause.

PON gene cluster variants have previously been associated with other neurodegenerative and vascular disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, coronary artery disease and stroke.

Although the Northwestern DNA study samples were not analyzed for inclusion of Gulf War veterans, Siddique and co-researchers found significant evidence that gene variations (polymorphisms) on the chromosome region encompassing PON2-PON3 were strongly associated with sporadic ALS.

“Thus, single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping in the intergenic regions of the PON gene cluster, and replication, gene expression, gene-gene interaction and PON serum/enzymatic studies may help elucidate the complexity of PON cluster association with ALS,” Siddique said.

Siddique hopes to study DNA samples from Gulf War veterans with increased incidence of sporadic ALS and has applied for their DNA from the Veterans Administration collection.

Collaborating with Siddique on this research were Mohammad Saeed, M.D.; Nailah Siddique; Wu-Yen Hung; Elena Usacheva; Erdong Liu, M.D.; Robert L. Sufit, M.D.; Scott L. Heller, M.D., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Jonathan L. Haines, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; and Margaret Pericak-Vance, Duke University Medical Center.

This study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Les Turner ALS Foundation; V. E. Schaff ALS Research Trust; Wenske Foundation; Harold Post Professorship; Les Turner ALS Foundation/Herbert C. Wenske Foundation Professorship; Falk Foundation Fund; and The David C. Asselin M.D., Memorial Fund.
 
ALS & cholesterol lowering drugs

I don't know much about the link between cholesterol lowering drugs and ALS but I have some annecdotal information to add to the mix: for 2 years now my primary dr has threatened to put me on Statins if I am not sucessful in lowering my cholesterol. But this June the ALS symptoms made themselves known so, even though my last bloodwork showed INCREASED cholesterol, he said he changed his mind about the Statins. Hummm...
 
Cholesterol having the drugs which we should known that what drugs or medicine is best for us. To keep the good health in Low cholesterol you have take care about you diet only the low cholesterol people also heart attack. due to this proper advise from the doctor only. My self time to time I am concern. For Physic of the people I will say if you take daily Diet food and do the exercise properly than you can keep your cholesterol in control. Daily to do yoga, not take liquor, not eat too much oily food have patient and keep your in good condition.
 
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