Statins side effects quantified

A new study, published in the BMJ, to quantify the unintended effects of statins according to type, dose, and duration of use found that statin use was associated with increased risks of serious liver dysfunction, acute renal failure, moderate or serious myopathy ( muscle weakness) and cataracts.

Researchers examined the medical records of over 2 million patients who registered at GP practices in England and Wales, the patients were monitored over a period of 6 years. They found that Simvastatin was the most prescribed statin and the side effects are already known. Eestimates of the absolute risks were also provided : for 10,000 people, there would be 17 extra cases of kidney failure, 252 cataracts, 65 liver problems and 32 myopathy. The adverse effects were similar across the statin types for each outcome except liver dysfunction where fluvastatin was associated with the highest risks.

The accompanying editorial says that the benefits of statins seem to outweigh the risks. It is suggested that patients should not change their medication.

Source: Hippisley-Cox J, and C Coupland. Unintended effects of statins in men and women in England and Wales: population based cohort study using the QResearch database. BMJ 2010;340:c2197 ( f/t via Athens)

Processed meat increased heart disease risk

A new systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies involving more than 1.2 millions people from 10 countries found that processed meat such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli, was linked to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, but red meat was not.

Participants were followed up to 18 years and found that those who ate 50 gram a day of processed red meat had 42% higher risk of heart disease and 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who did not eat processed red meat.

Researchers said that the processed meat contain much higher salt and preservatives ( rather than fats) than unprocessed meat and this could explain the difference. They found the same even when lifestyle factors were taken into account and suggested that these types of meats should be studied separately in future research.

Source: "Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis". Circulation. 2010 Published online before print May 17, 2010 ( f/t via Athens)

Medical journals on Twitter

Twitter started as social networking or microblogging that combines blogging and instant messaging. Users can create a short message of up to 140 characters ( called “tweets”), send and receive updates from any computer or mobile devices with Internet access.

Tweets are instantly available to the “followers”, so it is a quick way of communicating with a group of people. Twitter has become a major distributor of timely information, particularly in the area of breaking news. The 1st reports of the crash of a US jetliner into the Hudson River in January 2009 were sent by witnesses on Twitter.

Many medical journals and organisations have started to use Twitter to disseminate information quickly to large groups of people.

For example - "Are probiotic drinks good for children? Looking at research we agree they may have small benefit for some illnesses " - was a tweet by NHS Choices

BMJ, The Lancet, NEJM, JAMA and many others also use Twitter to provide Table of Contents (TOC) service with links to the most current articles.

If you use Twitter to share medical information and opinion, beware of the issues of confidentiality.

Eating nuts may reduce cholesterol

Previous studies have shown that nut consumption reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, a new systematic review published in the May 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine found that diets rich in nuts were associated with reduced total cholesterol and bad cholesterol.


Researchers pooled data from 25 trials conducted in 7 countries that compared a control group to an experimental group assigned to consume nuts. An average of 67 grams of nuts per day were consumed over 3 to 8 weeks, they found that total cholesterol was reduced by 5.1% and bad cholesterol by 7.4%, but there was a lesser effect on reducing the cholesterol levels of people with higher BMIs.


Critics noted that the overall population of the studies was relatively small, the study results might have been affected by the different diets used in different studies. The experimental diet lasted only 3 to 8 weeks long, so it is not clear what effect it would have over the longer term. It is also unclear whether the reductions in cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol would be enough to lower the risk of coronary heart disease. Although nuts may reduce cholesterol, they are high in saturated fats and should be eaten in moderation.


Source: "Nut Consumption and Blood Lipid Levels - A Pooled Analysis of 25 Intervention Trials". Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(9):821-827. ( f/t via Athens)

Working overtime is bad for your heart

According to a study of 6000 British civil servants published online in the European Heart Journal, people who regularly work overtime have higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who do not.

The study involved over 6000 men and women aged between 39 and 61 who did not have heart disease and worked full time at the start of the study. Researchers found those who worked 3 to 4 hours of overtime a day had 60% higher risk of developing heart disease, overtime work was also associated with lower HDL cholesterol ( good cholesterol).

Experts said the study highlights the importance of work-life balance but note that the link was only found in association with 3-4 hours oertime a day. The lead researcher said more research is needed.

Source: Overtime work and incident coronary heart disease: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study. Eur Heart J (2010). First published online: May 11, 2010 ( f/t via Athens)

Vitamin A does not reduce maternal mortality

A new study, (Obaapa VitaA) in Ghana showed that vitamin A supplementation to women of child-bearing age in poor nations does not reduce maternal death rates. The Ghana findings contradicted previous results from a trial in Nepal which showed a 44% decrease in maternal death among women given vitamin A.

The researchers conducted a randomised and double-blind trial in 7 districts in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. Participants were randomly assigned to vitamin A supplement or placebo capsule orally every week. They found that there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and the control groups.

The author, Professor B Kirkwood at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine concluded that "the results of this trial in Ghana vindicate the decision not to change safe motherhood policy immediately after the Nepal trial."

Source: Betty R Kirkwood et al. Effect of vitamin A supplementation in women of reproductive age on maternal survival in Ghana (ObaapaVitA): a cluster-randomised, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet, 2010; 375(9726):1640-1649 ( f/t via Athens)