The development of osteoporosis is associated with taking statins
Last reviewed: 07.06.2024
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Taking statins - anti-cholesterol drugs - does not go without a trace for the bone apparatus. Thus, these drugs in low doses have osteoprotective ability, and in high doses - on the contrary, increase the likelihood of osteoporosis. This information was announced by Austrian specialists representing the Medical University of Vienna.
Decreased bone mass in the form of osteoporosis is a disease that is becoming increasingly common on the planet. The risks of occurrence of the disorder increase significantly after the age of 50, especially for women who have entered the postmenopausal period.
Another common age-related problem is elevated blood cholesterol, for the correction of which drugs such as statins are actively used. However, it is important to note that quite often the same people are diagnosed with both high cholesterol (associated atherosclerosis) and osteoporosis at the same time.
Concerned about this problem, the scientists performed a correlation, during which they analyzed the dose-dependence and relationship between the intake of statins and the incidence of osteoporosis. At the same time, the experts traced the effect of low and high doses of statins on the state of the bone apparatus in a rodent model.
The first phase of the study recruited a group of participants - about 140,000 men and more than 150,000 women who had crossed postmenopause. All participants had been taking high doses of hypolipidemic drugs for at least 12 months. The comparison was made with another group of participants consisting of more than 400 thousand men and more than 450 thousand women not taking statins. The result of the study was as follows: participants receiving high doses of drugs had 5 times more risk of osteoporosis.
Then the scientists conducted a study on rodents: more than 30 male and the same number of female mice were involved in the work. The females had surgical resection of their ovaries beforehand. The mice were divided into two groups: those receiving statins in high doses and those not receiving them. The state of the bone system of rodents was assessed using 3D-imaging. It turned out that long-term use of high doses of hypolipidemic drugs adversely affected the bone health of both males and females with removed ovaries. The bones rapidly lost both density and volume - on average by 30-40%.
Researchers expressed the opinion that taking these drugs in certain high dosages may have negative consequences in terms of deleterious effects on bone metabolism. Patients who regularly take statins should be observed by their physician and monitor not only lipidogram parameters, but also parameters of the bone system. In particular, periodic densitometry should be performed, blood tests for the level of calcium and vitamin D.
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