Ok cholesterol is a bit high…diets great just a genetic thing as mums the same. doc suggests statins (as I'm diabetic) but side affects include muscle wasting…anyone out there with experience of this…will it mean I'm gonna get dropped by my mates?

I ride for 9/10 hrs a week so assumed that will do a decent job of fushing the fats out 😉

Google statin rhabdomyolysis.It's unusual,but potentially serious.
ian

Last year someone posted a link to "The Great Cholesterol Myth", which is fascinating reading. The author makes a good case for ignoring cholesterol in the absence of other poor symptoms. Cholesterol is actually vital in the body and a normal or slightly raised level correlates to longer life. The peoples with the lowest cholesterol (some obscure tribes) also have very short life spans. He also states that the side effects of statins reduce life expectancy for women and for men who haven't actually had a heart attack 🙁

Yep thanks fella…I've looked at the incidence/types of side affect, just wondered if this muscle wastage was noticable in terms of power output for riders who've taken them?

So I guess this prooves MTBing is good for the heart then?…so is nobody in STW land on these things?

simonfbarnes – Member
Last year someone posted a link to "The Great Cholesterol Myth", which is fascinating reading. The author makes a good case for ignoring cholesterol in the absence of other poor symptoms. Cholesterol is actually vital in the body and a normal or slightly raised level correlates to longer life. The peoples with the lowest cholesterol (some obscure tribes) also have very short life spans. He also states that the side effects of statins reduce life expectancy for women and for men who haven't actually had a heart attack

Lots of confusing research about statins currently, include their use in the worried well, but as Whytetrash also has diabetes then his risks are different, and there is equally good research out there that shows cholesterol control is vital for people with diabetes to avoid premature cardiac risks (alongside BP control etc).

rhabdomyolysis is a possible but very rare complication, and goes beyond a bit of muscle wastage. Commonest side effect seems to be muscle pains.

[edit] I used to use the Cyclechat forum, and someone on their was a bit of a born again biker, had been diagnosed with all sorts of things, many related to inactivity & obesity, was prescribed many drugs, but once he'd turned his life around he was able to stop many of the drugs. Got a feeling he tried statins but didn't stay on them for long. It's an older crowd over there too, so possibly more at risk people who may be able to respond.

My father got this earlier this yr. He is 79 and is/was on ameroderon (sp?) for heart fibrulation, and was put on statins for other symptoms. There is a contraeffect that the pharmacist knew of but wasn't flagged. The various specialists seem to have missed it. He stopped the statins after a month, of his own accord, by which time he had suffered a lot of wastage, and a tear/damage to rotator cuff. he is unlikley to be able to regain full use of his right arm -(

thanks guys!

My mother-in-law (an incredibly fit and healthy and vibrant old bird at 86) was put on statins last year for raised cholestrol (I think), she went downhill like a bloody rocket, felt sick, woozy, lost muscle control etc, etc.

Came off the statins, now good as gold.

Me, wouldn't touch the bloody things with a stick (in my purely ignorant opinion) unless my life literally depended on them.