Article in Today's Paper on Diabetic Neuropathy
 

Alan and I were in Dunkin Donuts reading today's Daily News. In the Magazine Section, on the page HEALTH SMART by Dr. Tedd Mitchell,there's a whole article titled:

DIABETIC?? CHOLESTEROL DRUGS MAY PREVENT FOOT DAMAGE.
I'm typing the whole article into this post:
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50% of diabetics have a serious disorder that can lead to amputation.

If you're diabetic and your feet or hands sting, tingle or lack sensation, the cause maybe be nerve damage called peripheral sensory diabetic neuropathy.

About half of all diabetics have it, says the American Diabetes Association. The serious condition can lead to ulcers, infections and even amputations.

The good news: Research finds that two types of lipid-lowering drugs---statins and fibrates, both used to prevent cardiovascular disease--can reduce your risk of developing neuropathy. And if you already have nerve damage, these medicines may slow its progress, says lead researcher Timothy Davis, M>D. Ph.D. professor of medicine at the University of Western Australia.

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The rest of the article simply states the obvious information about examining your feet, using lotion (except between the toes), Work out wisely, exercising wisely, for example, rowing, swimming or cycling.

I have read many posts on the negative side effects of statins. I was once put on statins at Cornell. Not because I had a cholesterol problem but as a preventive thing. It killed my arms, (muscle pain) so they took me off of the zocor. Wasn't on it for too many months.

So I just wanted to share this article with all of you

Melody

I'll tell you what....I'd be contacting the person that wrote that article and tell them to do the research! That's nuts! I would like to see the so-called research that is supposed to support this when I've seen the exact opposite thing doing my own research!

Do they have an online version of that paper with the article? Online they often include an email address for the person that wrote the article.

What I would like to see is an article that addresses PN of the non diabetic types. If one types PN (spelled out of course, my hands are tired today :wink:) into Google most of what comes up is related to Diabetic Neuropathy. Even Googling non-diabetic neuropathy produces the same results! I don't get it when there are *so* many of us dx with this and it's not in any way, shape or form related to blood sugar issues!

Barbara

Statins
 

Hi Melody:

My sister and her husband had to get off statins because of muscular pains.

Shirley H.

Barbara,

I'm really cooking today. I just did a search on this article.

Here's the link, the first article on the screen is about cholesterol and statins but just scroll down a bit and it shows the Diabetic thing on statins. Then if you go down to the bottom of the screen you can see the "contact us" link.

http://www.usaweekend.com/07_issues/...althsmart.html

You go girl!!!

Mel

It's not outside the realm of possibility--
 

--that statin drugs may, for some diabetics/pre-diabetics, contibute to slowing the neuropathy process. Since the neuropathy of diabetes is generally thought to be primarily ischemic in nature--that is, due to deteriortion of the vascular system and decreaed circulation, so that oxygen/nutrients have a harder time reaching the nerves and toxins have a harder time being processed out--anything like statins that may help to promote good circulation ("keeping the vessels clear") might be advantageous.

Of course, the problem is that for a good number of people, statins themselves have muscular and neural toxicity. This is a well-known possible side effect, even if the manufacturers are reluctant to report it.

My own opinion, from a review of the literature, is that there are a lot of other things one can try first to regulate blood sugar and blood lipid levels--from niacin to cinnamon to fiber to exercise--that are a lot less likely to have deleterious effects. And any of them is probably just as likely to improve or arrest neuropathy.

I sent an email to Dr. Davis asking him if the statins produced results in patients who have normal cholesterol levels - I'll let you know if I near anything.

An RN friend of mine alerted me to research showing that people with diabetes tend to be low in nitric oxide production. Seems to me that nutrient-based means (and Anodyne or other therapeutic methods) of improving nitric oxide production would be a lot safer (although not nearly to profitable for the drug companies) than statins.

rose

zocor caused my PN
 

Started on Zocor 1997. Cholestrol 220. Within 6 months had symptons of PN. It use to say on the box that it could cause PN. Now it says can cause nerve damage. Knew nothing about PN in 1997. Up until that year i had good results with doctors.After thAT year i question everything and research . I told one doc. he could recommend anything but i make the decisions about my body and what goes into it.

George 75

Answer From Dr. Davis
 

Got an email from Dr. Davis - his answer is "The medications were helpful independently of their effects on cholesterol levels". He didn't provide any other info, such as how many people were in the study, etc., so.........

I would be interested...
 

as to who funded this study....drug companies? Sometimes this is done
indirectly, thru an Association, which is then funded by drug companies.

I find it hard to understand how a drug group that causes neural damage can prevent damage.

This article suggests taking BOTH fibrates and statins together!
This is a known drug interaction which is very serious, and pharmacies FLAG for it.
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=5&gl=us

This flurry of articles....resembles the stuff that came out with hormone replacement therapy for women. When an independent study found all previous ones inaccurate...the use of hormones by women plummeted! As did heart attack, blood clots, stroke and dementia.

It is really hard these days to believe studies at all. I personally think statins are not what they are purported to be. Only time will tell.

I am very suspicious as well. The last time I dug into the background of those conducting a "study" I suspected that strongly, I found lots of pharmaceutical money.

rose