Researchers Incredulous Over Study That Finds Statin Drugs Negate Mortality Reduction Achieved By Taking Multivitamins

By Bill Sardi:

 

Incredulity: unwilling or unable to believe something.

Saying the results of their study are “implausible” and should be “viewed with appropriate skepticism,” researchers are in frank denial over a study which shows a so-called “high-dose” multivitamin formula drastically reduces mortality rates among post-heart attack patients, a beneficial effect that was completely negated by concomitant use of statin cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The study, published in the American Heart Journal, was conducted among adults who had experienced a prior heart attack and had undergone intravenous chelation therapy.  Vitamin and mineral replacement is customarily prescribed after chelation therapy.

A six-tablets-a-day amped-up multivitamin regimen produced a 38% reduction in risk for death or other mortal cardiovascular events like stroke.  Unexpectedly, this beneficial effect was completely abolished by simultaneous use of statin drugs + multivitamin.

An even more demonstrable reduction in non-mortal cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke) was tabulated (54% risk reduction) when the high-dose multivitamin was compared against inactive placebo use.

A prior study that employed so-called “high-dose” vitamins and minerals among post-heart attack patients only showed a modest “non-significant” reduction in the risk for death, recurrent heart attack, stroke or re-hospitalization of 3% (27% for multivitamin group, 30% for placebo group), 11% relative risk reduction).

The study is contrary to an earlier report that concluded dietary supplements do not produce clear evidence of a beneficial effect on all-cause mortality or cardiovascular disease.  The results from that study caused cardiologists to advise the public to stop wasting money on vitamin supplements.  That statement may have been premature.

The multivitamin was characterized as a “high-dose” dietary supplement because the provision of nutrients exceeded the Daily Value (DV).  However, the Daily Value is intended for healthy individuals and amounts that exceed the Daily Value (DV) should be considered inadequate for individuals who face health challenges such as repair of scarred heart tissue.

Furthermore, post-heart attack patients are often placed on medications that deplete essential nutrients and require greater-than-dietary intake of selected nutrients such as zinc (depleted by blood pressure medicines), coenzyme Q10 (depleted by statin cholesterol-lowering and beta blocker drugs), and minerals such as magnesium (depleted by diuretics).

The mega-dose multivitamin regimen provided 1200 milligrams of vitamin C (2000% of the DV); 100 milligrams of vitamin B1 (6667% of DV); 200 mg niacin (1000% of DV); 100 micrograms of vitamin B12 (1667% of DV); 400 milligrams of vitamin B5 pantothenic acid (4000% of DV); 50 mg of vitamin B6 (2500% of DV) and 20 milligrams of zinc (133% of DV).

The high-dose multivitamin was iron-free, possibly an important factor given iron overload is linked with acute heart attacks (as measured by ferritin iron storage protein levels).

Cholesterol levels were obviously far lower among multivitamin users taking statin drugs, yet the mortality reduction was erased when both drug and dietary supplement were combined.

Researchers recommend that physicians and their heart attack patients wait until a more definitive study is completed in 2021 before altering drug and supplement regimens…. Read Original Story

Statin Drugs Erase the Benefits