A new study by the University of Massachusetts Medical School has found that women in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s who took statins to lower cholesterol had a 48 percent greater chance of becoming diabetic than women who did not take the statin drugs.1
And as you’ll read in today’s alert, this may also apply to bisphosphonates such as Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, Atelvia, and Reclast.
Lead researcher Yunsheng Ma and team kept track of the 150,000 study participants for six to seven years to determine how many would be diagnosed with diabetes.
The study results – and researchers’ conclusion – have sent the medical establishment scrambling for ways to defend the widespread use of statins.
The news agency Reuters quotes Dr. David Jenkins, a chronic disease researcher at the University of Toronto, voicing a stunning opinion. He comments that doctors consider developing Type II diabetes:
“A very fair trade-off, since statins lower the risk of heart disease, the primary concern related to diabetes.”2
Indeed, this could be a potentially very widespread trade-off, since according to Reuters, “about one-quarter of adults age 45 and older in the United States now take statins – which run anywhere from $11 to over $200 per month.”2
Aside from your amazement at this skewed way of thinking, you’re probably wondering how this latest statin fiasco relates to bone health. As I write in the Save Our Bones Program,
“Like statins – drugs used to lower blood cholesterol levels – bisphosphonates begin their action on bone metabolism by blocking the enzyme farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) which is involved in the mevalonate pathway (also called the HMG-CoA reductase pathway).”
In other words, both statins and bisphosphonates disrupt the same enzymatic processes. This is a real cause for concern because it’s conceivable that in the not-so-distant future, researchers will discover similar results in study patients who take bisphosphonates. Perhaps one day, a researcher will make the connection and conduct the study.
In the meantime, this is yet one more good reason to stay away from these osteoporosis drugs.
Till next time,
References
1 http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/archinternmed.2011.625
2 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/09/us-statin-diabetes-idUSTRE80826K20120109
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April 10, 2012
I have the Save our Bones Book; it’s very good and encourage those who haven’t yet purchased it to do so.
January 27, 2012
Has there been a connection made with men taking statins and a Higher risk of diabetes?
January 22, 2012
Vivian – I recently went for a Dexascan (it’s been about a year and a half since my last one) and my bone mass in my spine has increased by 12%! The technician asked “What have you been doing!?!” and my doctor was very excited and wanted to know if it was the exercices that you have on your website that made the difference. No, it was’nt but you’ll see.
About a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with osteoporosis and given Boniva. I didn’t want to take this medication and fortunately I found your website. After buying your book and reading your articles I decided this makes sense and adopted your plan, not the Boniva. I informed my doctor what I was doing, gave her your website address and she looked into it a bit and that’s where she discovered your exercises. But I have to tell you it’s not the exercises I’ve been doing, although I want to and I will. It’s your diet I’ve been following and for me it was radical because up to then I was eating a diet of animal protein and not many vegetables. Animal protein is lean, low calorie, low fat, less calories BUT, highly acidic! This fact really struck a chord with me so now I eat very little animal protein and eat lots and lots of fruit and vegetables. [So much so that in my last blood test and urinalysis, the pH is 8.0(high)]. But I no longer have osteoporosis! I am just below normal range, so I have a little osteopinea. I wanted to let you know of the impressive results of my bone scan and how amazed and pleased the ‘professionals’ were. Thank you and I am telling everyone about you. Keep up the good work, Vivian! Thank you so much, Richelle Sommer
January 23, 2012
Congratulations, Richelle — that’s fantastic, and thanks so much for sharing! As I always say, the Save Our Bones Program is not an all or nothing proposition, and you don’t have to follow it perfectly 100% of the time in order to improve your bone health. The fact that you’ve had such great results without adding the exercises yet is a testament to that. Every step you take is a step in the right direction — keep up the great work!
January 22, 2012
Have read your book. I’ve had three vetebral problems (crushed requiring a vertebroplasty; fractured two; then fractured one) in the past three years. Refused bisphosnates, finally began Forteo the past two months, but don’t want to be on them. Since I very obviously have problems, having three spinal events in three years, and don’t want a broken hip, is this program all I need? I’m concerned that I will suffer more problems while waiting for this program to reverse my bone problems, if indeed it does. My last T-score result is -2.5.
January 20, 2012
Hi! Vivian,
Thank You VERY MUCH For Letting Us Know About This ALERT, And STEERING US CLEAR OF THE PRODUCTS THAT CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD!
LOVE, AND ALL THE BEST
TO YOU, MS. L. (LESLIE)
January 19, 2012
Thank you so much for your latest information on statins.Am trying to manage my cholesterol without taking medication and am having another blood test in two weeks to see if I have been successful. Your 80/20 diet
and helpful hints are very encouraging.
Annabelle (from “down under”).
January 18, 2012
How does the statin Red Yeast Rice fit into this equation?
January 19, 2012
Hi Dee – Like bisphosphonate drugs, red yeast rice interferes with the production of CoQ10. It could also hurt the liver. Plus let’s not forget that Red Yeast fermented rice is a rice product cultured with a mold (yeast sounds a lot better than mold, right?). Bottom line – I don’t recommend it.
January 18, 2012
I am on the brink of brain surgery (D.B.S.) to help my 12 years of Parkinson’s and I, like many other women of age 69, am also on the brink of having to take statins to lower chlorestral. While I don’t like the threat of heart attack or other related problems, or Diabetes. (make my choice???)
I don’t believe for a minute that our Maker, who designed the wonderful Thing that is our body, Flubbed up so badly that we have to choose between Diabetes and Heart Disease! NO WAY!!!
My expectation is that my doctor and I will sit down and delve into the problems I am having and try to design a way to help me get back to normal.
I definitely think this is where a doctor earns the money, not by writing a perscription which may kill me or shorten my life!
Making a choice like that is not the method of medicine I care to be part of, Thank you very much.
I will take my brain surgery but NOT a Statin or ‘bone builder’ At least my brain is capable of that!
And that is the way I see it !!
Carole Egler
January 18, 2012
I stopped Boniva as well as my low dose statin when I started the Save our Bones program. I am 5’2″ and weigh 123. I am 68 and exercise 5/6 times a week along with a good “Save our Bones” diet. I was shocked when my bloodwork came back showing an our of whack cholesterol. With the low dose statin my next blood work came back normal. I guess it’s a risk I’ll take taking the statin to keep plaque out of my arteries. But no way will I ever take Boniva or the like again. I appreciate all the good work you do for our benefit.
January 18, 2012
Thanks again for all of the research and keeping us informed about the latest news in regard to our bone health. Unfortunately, I have had to take statins for the past eight years. I have reacted to every one of them in one way or another. I am now down to 1 pill a week, 5mg. Crestor. I was advised to give up all meat, dairy, oils, avocado, nuts. After 3 months of going from 3 pills a week to one, and following this lifestyle eating, my cholesterol has improved some. I have been following the Save Your Bones plan for two years. I recently went back for a Dexa scan. I have decreased a slight bit, but I am sure it would have been much worse if I wouldn’t have been trying to follow the Save Your Bones Program. I do have to meet for a consultation with my doctor, and I am sure I will hear promotions for drugs.
January 18, 2012
Thanks again for all this great info. I have a big question about ordering the right Calcium etc product that works with the program. I could not find one without Strontium, so I got the one that seemed to have the least. It is Garden of Life, Vitamin Code Raw Calcium. It seems to have all the requirements, but it also has 3.8mgs of Strontium. Can you say whether this is a Calcium I should continue with? Thanks in advance. Lynn
January 19, 2012
Hi Lynn – Raw Calcium is an excellent product. And the small amount of naturally-occurring strontium in organic calcium supplements is not a problem. You can read more about this in Strontium Demystified
January 18, 2012
I am 63 and have taken actonel and fosomax for osteopeinia. I went off actonel a year ago and have been on this diet or alkalyzing/acid diet Vivian has developed and my bone density has not only maintained but increaded. My problem is now that since I went off actonel I have a heart arythmia. Then my doctor put me on fish oil and the arythmia stopped. Now I am having digestive problems: heartburn, bloating, and gas, constipation. I feel these are all side effects from the actonel. I have been tested for food sensitivities and also have a sensitivity to gluten and milk. My naturpath had put me on hydrochoric acid which has helped.
I hope I do not deal with diabetes. Marie
January 18, 2012
Anyone taking strontium and lactoferrin to reverse osteoporosis? My osteoporosis continues to worsen. I want to take natural supplements.Thanks for your feedback.
January 18, 2012
I am interested in the BMI numbers of the women in these studies.
January 18, 2012
Hi Marilyn – According to the Reuters article, the 48% figure was obtained “after considering other known diabetes risks.”
January 18, 2012
The ‘trade-off’ comment doesn’t surprise me. When my consultant was trying to persuade me to continue with Pamidronate (a bisphosphonate delivered by infusion) I said I didn’t want to because, among other things, it made me feel nauseous all the time. ‘Surely it’s worth it to protect your bones’ was the response. I said no it wasn’t and anyway Pamidronate was downright dangerous – an opinion now shared by that very same consultant!