Cholesterol-lowering drug could stop Parkinson's
 

How I wish this is true ? I always dreamed that one day somebody stumbles on a cure accidentally.
Imad
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/l...ow/5179165.cms

A commonly used cholesterol-lowering drug, called simvastatin, can prevent progression of Parkinson's disease, according to a study by neurological Cholesterol-lowering drug could prevent Parkinson's.
The study examined the use of the FDA-approved medication in mice with Parkinson’s disease and found that the drug successfully reverses the biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes caused by the disease.

"Statins are one of the most widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs throughout the world. This may be a safer approach to halt the disease progression in Parkinson’s patients," said study author Dr. Kalipada Pahan.

The researchers have shown that the activity of one protein called p21Ras is increased very early in the midbrain of mice with Parkinson’s pathology.
Simvastatin enters into the brain and blocks the activity of the p21Ras protein and other associated toxic molecules, and goes on to protect the neurons, normalize neurotransmitter levels, and improves the motor functions in the mice with Parkinson’s.

Wow, I take 40 mg a day. If you take it, be sure to take CoQ10 with it because Zocor robs you of it.

is it doing any good?
 

ZK: Have a way of knowing if it is doing any good?

Imad

statins and PD
 

One might consider obtaining the genetic profiling offerred by 23andme prior to taking a statin to determine status of the SLCO1B1 gene encoding the transport protein responsible for uptake of statins into the hepatocytes of the liver to be detoxified.
SNPs in this gene:
reports note that having one C @ rs4149056 occurs in15% to 32% of the caucasian population (much lower in African American population), and having 2 "C's" occurs in 5 to 6 % of the population. Thus, roughly 20 to 38% of the Caucasian population possess either of these SNPs.
Statins are detoxified in the liver; without proper metabolism of this drug, plasma levels of the drug increase, potentially leading to statin toxicities. Individuals with SNPs in the SLCO1B1 gene showed an increase in statin plasma levels reported in studies ranging from 122% to 224% above "normal statin plasma levels". Conclusion from one study noted that "...SLCO1B1 polymorphism is likely to play a major role in interindividual variability in the pharmacokinetics of simvastatin and possibly in its efficacy and tixicity at the population level."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17108811

From 23andme web site: discussion of polymorphism of SLCO1B1:

(These studies looked at the incidence of myopathy as an adverse effect of statins associated with having one of these 2 polymorphisms. My opinion is that anyone who suffers just the myopathy is lucky indeed.....)

"... This study compared 85 patients who experienced myopathy to 90 patients who did not. All were taking 80 mg of simvastatin daily — a relatively high dose — as part of a much larger study involving 12,000 patients who were taking the drug after experiencing a heart attack. The authors found that having one C at rs4149056, a SNP in the SLCO1B1 gene, increased a person's odds of having myopathy 4.5 times compared to the TT genotype. Having two C copies of the SNP increased a person's odds of myopathy by about 17 times. The authors of the study succeeded in detecting a similar effect in individuals taking 40 mg of simvastatin daily, but the effect was much less extreme. Please note that myopathy is a very rare side effect of statins even among those with genotypes that increase their odds of experiencing it. Anyone who is following a statin regimen and has concerns about the risk of myopathy should consult a physician before taking any action..."
https://www.23andme.com/

In addition:
".... This study compared 133 patients who experienced myopathy while taking statins to 158 patients who did not. All patients were taking a single statin (including atorvastatin, rosuvastatin and other statins) at varied doses. The authors found an association between myopathy and a SNP in the COQ2 gene, which is involved in cellular energy production. Patients who had a C at both copies of rs4693596 had more than twice the odds of myopathy as those with the CT or TT genotype..."

Rats!
 

Anyone hear any more about this? Given the number of people who take statins it would seem easy to tell if it had an effect in humans. If it works in rodents but not humans (and what doesn't?) that would seem to call into question the model that researchers are employing.