ABSTRACT
Background and Objective: The issue of falls poses a significant threat to the health of the elderly population. Although statins can cause myopathy, which implies that they may cause balance problems and increase the risk of falling, this has not been tested. Our objective was to assess whether the use of statins is linked to a higher risk of falls. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study and Mendelian randomization (MR) study were conducted to examine whether the use of statins was associated with an increased risk of falling and balance problems. The cross-sectional study included 2,656 participants from the US population (NHANES) who reported information on balance and falling problems in the past year and their use of statins. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between statin use and the likelihood of falling or experiencing balance problems. The MR study identified five Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict statin use across five ancestry groups: Admixed African or African, East Asian, European, Hispanic, and South Asian. Additionally, SNPs predicting the risk of falls were acquired from the UK Biobank population. A two-sample MR analysis was performed to examine whether genetically predicted statin use increased the risk of falls. Results: The use of statins was found to be associated with an increased likelihood of balance and falling problems (balance problem, OR 1.25, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.55; falling problem, OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.03-1.27). Subgroup analysis revealed that patients under the age of 65 were more susceptible to these issues when taking statins (balance problem, OR 3.42, 95%CI 1.40 to 9.30; falling problem, OR 5.58, 95%CI 2.04-15.40). The MR analysis indicated that the use of statins, as genetically proxied, resulted in an increased risk of falling problems (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.1-1.33). Conclusion: Our study found an association between the use of statins and an increased risk of balance problems and falls in adults over 40 years old, and the MR study result suggested statin use increased risk of falls. The risk was higher in participants under 65 years old compared to those over 65 years old.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects Xuezhikang (XZK) at different doses on inflammatory factors and blood lipids of patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to discuss their safety.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty ACS in patients receiving selective PCI treatment were randomly assigned to two groups, 40 cases in the normal dose group and 40 cases in the large dose XZK group. Besides routine therapy, all patients took XZK at the daily dose of 1.2 and 0. 6 g, twice daily. They started XZK from the very day of PCI operation. The therapeutic course for all was more than 8 weeks. The levels of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were detected in the two groups 1 week, 4 and 8 weeks after operation. The levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, changes of liver and renal functions were observed. The correlation between blood lipids and inflammatory factors were analyzed. The adverse reaction was recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with before medication, the serum levels of hs-CRP and MMP-9 decreased in the two groups 1 week, 4 and 8 weeks after operation, with statistical difference shown in the levels at the 8th week (P < 0.05). The decrease was more obvious in the large dose XZK group (P < 0.05). The LDL-C level obviously decreased in the two groups 4 and 8 weeks after operation (P < 0.05). The decrease was more obvious in the large dose XZK group at the 8th week (P < 0.05). The levels of hs-CRP and MMP-9 were positively correlated with the decrease degree of LDL-C in the large dose XZK group at the 8th week (r = 0.828, 0.922, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse reaction, hepatic or renal functions between the two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>XZK could lower the serum levels of hs-CRP, MMP-9, and LDL-C. More obvious effects were obtained in the large dose XZK group. The decrease degree of inflammatory factors was correlated with the decrease extent of blood lipids.</p>
