Posted on 05/14/2023 5:31:10 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Using new genetic tools to study statins in human cells and mice, researchers have uncovered how the cholesterol-lowering drugs protect the cells that line blood vessels.
The findings provide new insight into statins' curiously wide-ranging benefits, for conditions ranging from arteriosclerosis to diabetes, that have long been observed in the clinic.
Liu tested simvastatin on lab-grown human endothelial cells. Endothelial cells make up the lining of blood vessels, but in many diseases they transform into a different cell type, known as mesenchymal cells.
"Mesenchymal cells are less functional and make tissues stiffer so they cannot relax or contract correctly," Liu said.
The researchers suspected that statins could reduce this harmful transition. Indeed, endothelial cells treated with simvastatin in a dish formed more capillary-like tubes, a sign of their enhanced ability to grow into new blood vessels.
RNA sequencing of the treated cells offered few clues. The researchers "didn't find anything interesting," Liu said.
It was not until they employed a newer technique called ATAC-seq that the role of statins became apparent.
DNA exists in our cells not as loose strands but as a series of tight spools around proteins, together known as chromatin.
ATAC-seq revealed that simvastatin-treated cells had closed chromatin structures that reduced the expression of genes that cause the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Working backward, the researchers found that simvastatin prevents a protein known as YAP from entering the nucleus and opening chromatin.
The YAP protein is known to play important roles in development, such as regulating the size of our organs, but also has been implicated in the abnormal cell growth seen in cancer.
To see the drug in context, the researchers tested simvastatin on diabetic mice.
They found after eight weeks on simvastatin, diabetic mice had significantly improved vascular function, with arteries that more easily relaxed and contracted.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
It improved my “artery age” by 10 years even after cutting the dosage in half.
Big Pharma is not in the Cure Business. That makes no commercial sense.
If only Diabetic Mice saw an improvement why does Pharma push Statins on EVERYONE with high cholesterol, including thin people with herditary high choresterol, but no hereditary heart issues? Because $Cha-ching$ ?
When my Doctor pushed Statins on me, My Chorosterol went from 250 to under 100. He’s high fiving me.
I told my GSK sales Manager neighbor this, all proud of my sub 100 Cholesterol and he got a woried look and says... “Yeah, thet’s probably not good for you... at all”.
Big pharma owns the MSM and the FDA and if most people taking statins didn’t benefit from them, I’m pretty sure they would never tell us.
The research doesn't says statins cure disease but that they improves certain conditions.
My definition of a disease being cured may be different from the medical definition. If you need to continually take a drug to maintain normal levels of whatever, I personally wouldn't consider that a cure. For me, to be cured means there is no further need to take a drug or procedure to maintain or keep your health.
I avoid Statins for their issues.
Tumeric as well
Per a friend who is an oncologist who was a pharmacist for 10 years before becoming a physician, “statins are poison.” Additional truth, if you want to kiss your sex life goodbye, by all means, suck down statins.” If you doubt that, research it and ask around. I sat next to a nurse at a mammogram center and she told me that she would “never ever” take a statin. To each his own as they say.
statins make some peoples joints hurt. and they have other negative side effects.. wheres the research that shows high cholesterol in a normally healthy person is bad for them.
I used to sell Pravachol.
I will not EVER take a statin.
Statins are BAD for you.
Cholesterol is is the Bad issue. Inflammation is.
I have had very high cholesterol for 35 years.
My doctors have tried to put me on statins for 30+. I tolerate them for a few months, then i get very sick (spasms, pains), so bad i have to go to the ER.
Every time they have another statin, they say it’s different, same result.
BTW, my cholesterol does go down to normal levels while on them.
I am now 63, and i get tested every year for for blood vessel occlusion (hardening of the arteries). My last test I got scored perfect (0 out of 0 to 100) for calcification of blood vessels. I have had several types of tests done. same result.
Focus on health, suppression of inflammation, proper diet (cut out most processed foods, reduce sugar, cut out the vegetable oils (esp seed oils) eat grassfed beef instead of corn fed beef) free range eggs, etc.
Hope this helps folks.
correction (Cholesterol is NOT the bad issue, inflammation is)
.
Spot on.
So, how about the mystery of why they pushed them on folks who don’t need them when they had no idea of how they “worked”???
I take low dose crestor, not so much because it lowers ldl but rather because it lower inflammation. There was a big jupiter study on this about 10 years ago.
I don’t suffer from side effects that I’m aware of.
for cardiovascular health I exercise and sit in saunas. seems to help. anyhow I feel better afterwards and feel worse if I don’t do it.
For how long were you a pharmaceutical salesman?
About 10 years.
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