| Studies over the last 60 years have shown that | | | | take statins because off fear of developing side |
| people who exercise are healthier than those who do | | | | effects such as muscle pain. A study from Scripps |
| not. Over the last 10 years, many studies have shown | | | | Mercy Hospital in San Diego reviews the latest data |
| that the more intense the exercise, the greater the | | | | on side effects of statins (The American Journal of |
| protection. A report from Italy shows that physical | | | | Medicine, May 2006). This review found that |
| activity is very important in helping to control | | | | statin-induce muscle damage is more common in |
| cholesterol (Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, | | | | Asians, people who exercise, have had recent surgery, |
| Volume 44, 2006). Healthy male sedentary controls | | | | those with kidney, liver or thyroid disease, or with high |
| had their blood cholesterol fractions compared to | | | | triglycerides. The incidence of muscle pain and damage |
| those of male professional cross-country skiers and | | | | from statins is extremely low in non-exercisers, three |
| professional road cyclists. The athletes had much | | | | to ten percent in those who exercise, and very high in |
| more healthful numbers for total cholesterol, the good | | | | competitive athletes. Most athletes refuse to take |
| high-density cholesterol, triglycerides, and the bad | | | | statin drugs because they train by taking a hard |
| low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The concentration of | | | | workout that damages their muscles. Then they must |
| another heart attack risk factor called Lp(a) or | | | | take easy workouts until the soreness disappears and |
| lipoprotein(a) was the same in both groups because it | | | | muscles heal. When statins prevent this muscle healing, |
| is a hereditary factor that is not influenced by lifestyle. | | | | the athlete must train at reduced intensity for a much |
| Every single scale of susceptibility for heart attacks | | | | longer period of time. Brand names of statins include: |
| except the Lp(a) was better in the athletes. | | | | Altoprev, Crestor, Lipitor, Mevacor, Pravachol and |
| Some patients with high cholesterol levels are afraid to | | | | Zocor. |
