HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors (Milestones in Drug Therapy) [Hardcover]

Gerd Schmitz (Editor), Michael Torzewski (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 376436307X | ISBN-13: 978-3764363079 | Publication Date: December 5, 2002 | Edition: 1

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are established drugs for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Furthermore, they induce regression of vascular atherosclerosis as well as reduction of cardiovascular-related morbidity and death in patients with and without coronary artery disease. This book deals with statins which have substantially altered the approach to therapy of atherosclerosis and its sequelae. Emphasis is placed on the scientific background to the discoveries and the development of the therapy, including an overview of the current state of knowledge of the drugs. Clinical data are reviewed extensively. This book not only provides the reader with valuable information but also stimulates further research into the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and the mechanisms behind the action of effective statins. It sets the stage for creative thinking among scientists of many disciplines for the accomplishment of our ultimate goals in treating atherosclerosis and its sequelae. This topical volume...

Product Details

• Hardcover: 161 pages
• Publisher: Birkhäuser Basel; 1 edition (December 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 376436307X
• ISBN-13: 978-3764363079
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,954,636 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > Medical Books > Pharmacology > Cardiovascular

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Expertise, October 6, 2003

By 

Joel M. Kauffman (Berwyn, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors (Milestones in Drug Therapy) (Hardcover)

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are essentially the statin drugs: atorvastatin (Lipitor™), cerivastatin (Baycol™,
withdrawn 8/01), fluvastatin (Lescol™), lovastatin (Mevacor™), pravastatin (Pravachol™), simvastatin (Zocor™),
pitavastatin and rosuvastatin (Crestor™), which were introduced to lower total cholesterol (TC) levels, and especially
LDL-cholesterol (LDL) levels, ostensibly to prevent coronary heart disease (CVD).

The book consists of 8 chapters by nominally highly qualified authors in the form of review articles of the sort
normally found in medical journals. These are devoted to the pharmacology and supposed benefits of statin drugs.
The writing is in expert medical language and is consistent, well-written, well-edited and very well-referenced, in
quantity if not in quality. The index is inadequate.

All chapters attempt to justify the wide use of the statin drugs to lower TC and LDL by citing references in support
of the claims that high levels have been correlated with cardiovascular disease (pp1,19,35,81,84,99,121,126). Such
claims are unfounded (Ravnskov U, The Cholesterol Myths, Washington, DC, New Trends, 2000).

The supposed benefits of the statins, beyond a large, but meaningless lowering of TC and LDL, are usually given
as lowered relative risks (RR) of mostly non-fatal heart attacks without the slightest indication of the magnitude of the
more meaningful reduction of absolute risk (pp101,103,106,115,122,124,137). This misrepresentation has been
noted (Ravnskov, 2000; Gigerenzer G, Calculated Risks: How to Know When Numbers Deceive You, New York,
NY, Simon & Schuster, 2002). So the usual tout of pravastatin in the WOSCOPS trial of a 22% drop in all-cause
mortality was noted without the information that this was only an 0.9% drop absolute in the 5-year trial period
(p106). The higher all-cause death rates in 2 of the big trials were ignored, as was the higher breast cancer rate (RR
= 1500%) in the CARE trial (Ravnskov, 2000).

Besides cancer, the other side effects of statins listed were incomplete, and should have included myalgia,
myopathy, polyneuropathy, liver and kidney damage, congestive heart failure and amnesia. Side-effects were said to
affect 2% of patients (p115-6) and 2-6% (p123). In fact, a recent review noted side-effects in 20% of patients above
the placebo rate, and no change whatever in the all-cause death rate for atorvastatin (Newman CB, Palmer G,
Silbershatz H, Szarek M. Safety of Atorvastatin Derived from Analysis of 44 Completed Trials in 9,416 Patients.
Am J Cardiol 2003;92:670-6).

Statins decrease the body's production of the essential coenzyme Q-10 and dolichol, among other things. This
was not mentioned as a problem in any chapter. While this was shown in one biochemical diagram (p65), it was not
in another (p82). Low Q-10 levels are strongly associated with congestive heart failure.

"Statins are contra-indicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The reason for this is that cholesterol is an
essential component for fetal development, including the synthesis of steroids and cell membranes" (p116). The
authors seem unable to comprehend that cell membranes, steroids and coenzyme Q-10 are needed by all humans.

The rare familial hypercholesterolemia, in which TC > 400 mg/dL, was represented as more deadly than it really
is (p99,111), (Ravnskov, 2000).

There was some recognition that statins operate to lower non-fatal heart attack rates by mechanisms other than
cholesterol lowering, but not that their desirable effect on thromboxane A2 is less than men can obtain with buffered
aspirin (p71), or that the desirable effect of raising nitric oxide (NO) levels is less than one can obtain with the
supplement L-arginine with no side-effects. There was no understanding that these effects of statins are independent
of initial or final TC or LDL levels (Nielsen JV. Serun lipid lowering and risk reduction? Where is the connection?
Br Med J Rapid Response, 19 Nov 01, to Kmietowicz Z. Statins are the new aspirin, Oxford researchers say. Br
Med J 2001;323:1145), and thus there is no way to determine who should be treated, or what the dose should be.

An entire chapter is devoted to the cost-benefits of statin use (p138ff). Since the use of statins for primary
prevention of CVD has been shown to increase all-cause mortality by 1% over a 10-year period (Jackson PR, et al.
Statins for primary prevention: at what coronary risk is safety assured? Br J Pharmacology 2001;52:439-446), and statins
have very little effect in secondary prevention, it would seem that there is no cost-benefit (Kauffman JM, "Do
Hypolipidemic Drugs Lower Medical Expenses?" Pharmacotherapy 2001;22(12),1583-1586).

This book may be of use for a pharmacologist looking for an overview, however narrow in outlook, with literature citations.

---Joel M. Kauffman, 6 Oct 03