Comments on: Statins Interfere with Orgasms: Live Update from APS in Chicago

By: Lula

Lula — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:50:58 +0000

Nicepost. ww.beforeyoutakethatpill.com is amazing.

By: Mary - Lower Cholesterol Diet

Mary - Lower Cholesterol Diet — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:09:25 +0000

I think that high cholesterol can be treated with supplements, diet, excersise and if that doesn’t work thn head the statin route. I would like to see more doctors prescribing personal trainers and gym memberships and less pill pushing.

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:07:55 +0000

I hope that any treating physician will learn about supplementing with magnesium and B vitamins before prescribing statins for anyone.

You can read magnesium researcher Mildred Seelig’s book, The Magnesium Factor, or check out her papers here: http://www.mgwater.com/seelig.shtml

More studies here:
http://mgwater.com/listd.shtml#hyper

By: Doug Bremner

Doug Bremner — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:52:32 +0000

As for WOSCOPS, apart from the fact that it showed a statistically significant increase in prostate cancer long term (which did not make it into the press release)
http://www.beforeyoutakethatpill.com/2007/10/dont-crow-over-woscops-pravachol-followup-study.html
I would not look to that for evidence that statins help women, as that study was all MEN.

And no I do not believe that studies of men apply to women.

By: Doug Bremner

Doug Bremner — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:41:14 +0000

Patients with hypercholesterolemia are a special case and I would grant that they should take statins.
“Even John Abramson says…” the word of a single expert, no matter who that person is, does not negate arguments from the published literature, which I cited on p 266 of my book, regarding lack of evidence to support treatment of diabetics without heart disease with statins.

By: Marilyn Mann

Marilyn Mann — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:10:44 +0000

“has no beneficial effect at all for women without heart disease”

This just goes too far. If it were left up to you, apparently, my daughter and other high risk women would be untreated and would be at risk of early death or disability. My daughter’s pre-treatment LDL was 250-270. Are you saying you would not treat her? Really? What about women with diabetes? Even John Abramson says women with diabetes and without known heart disease should be treated.

Statins are, or should be, prescribed based on individual risk. If someone’s risk of a cardiovascular event is high, why do we care if they are a woman, or left-handed, or have blond hair?

By: Doug Bremner

Doug Bremner — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:45:04 +0000

Marilyn: I read the Alawi 2008 article and I think the data in that article supports an association, as does an earlier article by that group. The conclusion of the 2008 article that there is no association is not supported by the data in the article. As for Jupiter we have a commentary coming out in the May issue of Circulation journal.
Other comments: Yes, chosterol is needed for neuronal membrances and since sexual function depends on central brain function it makes sense that statins and low LDL might impair that. Also probably why it impairs cognition.
Arrhythmia is not an indication for statins so I am not sure why they were given when cholesterol was normal. I’m sorry to hear about your father!

By: Marilyn Mann

Marilyn Mann — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:25:20 +0000

Actually, although epidemiological studies show an inverse relationship between LDL levels and incidence of cancer, whether lowering LDL with statins increases the incidence of cancer is in dispute.

Alawi A. Alsheikh-Ali, Thomas A. Trikalinos, David M. Kent, and Richard H. Karas
Statins, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, and Risk of Cancer
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., September 30, 2008; 52: 1141 – 1147.
http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/abstract/52/14/1141?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&author1=karas&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

EDITORIAL COMMENT:
Ori Ben-Yehuda and Anthony N. DeMaria
Low LDL-C Levels and Cancer: Reassuring But Still Not Definitive
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., September 30, 2008; 52: 1150 – 1151.
http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/full/52/14/1150?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=low+ldl+and+cancer+reassuring&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

It is interesting that you link to a 2004 meta-analysis of statin treatment in women but omit any mention of the JUPITER trial. In JUPITER, there was a clear benefit for women as well as a reduction in total mortality.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating putting statins in the water supply. I just think you should present all the evidence.

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:34:34 +0000

It seems the healthiest old people I know avoid doctors. LOL!

Then again, they were probably smart enough in the first place to keep themselves healthy.

Chicken and egg kinda thing.

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:32:05 +0000

Does Dr. Golomb not see the connection between low cholesterol and low serotonin — and its effect on libido and orgasm? Men with “early ejaculation” often are prescribed serotonin-targeting meds for that reason.