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From: ScienceDaily (May 28, 2009) —
Statins such as Crestor, a commonly prescribed class of drugs used by millions worldwide to effectively lower blood cholesterol levels, may actually have a negative impact in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients treated with high daily dosages.
A new study by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, demonstrates that statin therapy in mice inhibits myelin repair or remyelination in the central nervous system. The findings, published in The American Journal of Pathology, highlight the crucial need to monitor the effects of central nervous system-accessible immune therapies on the myelin repair processes in patients with MS and other progressive demyelinating diseases.
Canadians have one of the highest rates of MS in the world. An estimated 50, 000 Canadians have MS, with approximately 1,000 new cases diagnosed each year. MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), in which immune cells attack the myelin sheath (the protective insulation of nerve fibres), and the myelin-producing cells of the CNS (oligodendrocytes), causing demyelination. This causes damage which disrupts the nerve cell's ability to transmit signals throughout the nervous system.
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Read more... [Statins Risky for MS Patients]
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Developed by AstraZeneca, Crestor is used to treat high cholesterol and high triglycerides in the blood In Aug 2006, the FDA approved Crestor as an adjunct therapy accompanied by a low cholesterol diet and exercise program to reduce the overall level of bad cholesterol in the blood stream. Because the FDA was aware that Crestor posed serious health risks, they approved it below the suggested dosage. Crestor can cause rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle cells are damaged causing release of myoglobin, which in turn causes kidney damage and can be fatal. In 2004, the consumer interest group, Public Citizen, filed a Citizen's petition with the FDA asking that Crestor be withdrawn from the market. In March of 2005, the FDA issued a letter denying the petition and providing an extensive detailed analysis of findings which demonstrated no basis for concerns even though the FDA's own research had previously shown otherwise. Serious Side Effects of Crestor- Dark or Red urine
- Muscle tenderness
- Muscle or generalized weakness
- Muscle stiffness
- Joint Pain
- Fatigue, Seizures
Crestor can also cause liver damage and liver failure leading to transplant and death.
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