Could Statin Use Such As Crestor Indirectly Trigger Heart Attacks in Men?

Washington, DCWhile statins have been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attack (and new treatment guidelines suggest there will be a lot more statins prescribed than previously), it remains that statins such as Crestor come with baggage: read, Crestor side effects such as the potential to trigger diabetes in some patients, and in rare cases, rhabdoymylosis.

And yet, one indirect result of taking statins such as Crestor, for men in particular, could actually be an increase in the risk for heart attack.

How is this possible?

A syndicated health column appearing in the Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington; 11/26/13), penned by Joe Graedon, MS and Teresa Graedon, PhD, raises some issues over the use of statins that normally fly under the radar - discussion for which was founded upon the innocent questions of readers who write in with health concerns.

Included in this particular column was a question from a gentleman with regard to a diagnosis of borderline low testosterone. His doctor had suggested medication, but the potential side effects concerned the author of the letter. The man revealed he was 66 years of age, exercised on a regular basis and was prescribed Crestor. He did not identify any specific Crestor issues.

But the Graedons, in their response to him, did. They revealed that a statin-type drug such as Crestor has been shown by studies to lower testosterone levels in men. By itself, this would not be a problem unless the patient was adversely affected by the diminished levels of testosterone and thus required testosterone replacement therapy.

But here’s where it gets back to indirect Crestor side effects: A new study published in JAMA (11/6/2013) suggests that testosterone replacement therapy increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

It’s a domino effect that can begin with the use of Crestor in men.

Common Crestor side effects include bouts with lethargy and muscle aches. A much more rare and more serious complication in the basket of Crestor issues is Crestor rhabdoymylosis, a condition that impacts both the muscles and bloodstream. To wit, muscles fibers are broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream. In serious cases, and in rare situations, this can be fatal.

A more common side effect, although still less common than mere joint pain, is the potential for Crestor to trigger diabetes in some individuals. The latter is often the foundation for a Crestor lawsuit.

Crestor issues identified in the foregoing could only increase in scope once the changes to treatment protocols reverberate through the healthcare community and are reflected in patient care. To this end, statin therapy has until now been reserved primarily for individuals who are at risk for heart attack or stroke. The new guidelines suggest the widespread use of statins for healthy individuals, in an effort to prevent them from getting to a point where they are at risk for heart attack or stroke in the first place.

As statin use increases exponentially, it’s reasonable to assume we will see an increase in the emergence of Crestor side effects. For men, a decrease in levels of testosterone stemming from statin use and treated through testosterone replacement therapy could very well lead to a heart attack Crestor was meant to prevent. In the words of Alanis Morissette, “isn’t it ironic?”