Another False Alarm: Antioxidants Don't Interfere with Statin Drugs

Don't worry. Contrary to widespread media reports, there's no evidence that taking antioxidants, namely vitamin E and C, counteracts the benefits of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Zocor, Mevacor and Lipitor. Such concern is based on a misinterpretation of the study.

The real facts are much less alarming and are of no concern to the vast majority of people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs and antioxidants.

First, the news comes from a University of Washington study of heart patients who took a drug that combines Zocor and very large doses of niacin--1000 mg per day. The activity of niacin, not Zocor, is believed to be the part of the drug diminished by antioxidants, according to researchers. So if you're not taking niacin, the study is irrelevant. Only a small percentage--probably less than 5 percent--of Americans take that combination.

The University of Washington patients had artery narrowing and low levels of good-type HDL--under 35 mg/dl in men and less than 40 mg/dL in women. Researchers added niacin to LDL-lowering Zocor specifically to raise HDLs, which it did when given to the patients. Zocor alone had little or no HDL-boosting effects.

However, HDLs did not rise in response to niacin as expected when subjects also took a so-called "cocktail" of antioxidants, consisting of 12.5 mg beta carotene, 500 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 50 micrograms of selenium. Theoretically, one or more of the antioxidants--a prime candidate is beta carotene--interfered with niacin's abilities to boost HDLs. Consequently, plaque- buildup increased 7 percent in the Zocor-niacin-antioxidant takers, but dropped 4 percent in those taking only niacin and Zocor, said researchers.

This is a far cry from finding that antioxidants wipe out the benefits of all cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Indeed, according to a November, 2001 report at the American Heart Association annual meeting, a new six-year British (University of Oxford) study of 20,000 people found no negative effect from antioxidants combined with Zocor alone. Thus, any detrimental effect is tied to adding therapeutic doses of niacin to anti-cholesterol drugs.

Bottom Line: Giving up antioxidants because you are on a cholesterol-lowering drug does not make sense and is not advisable, says leading heart researcher Ishwarlal Jialal at the University of Texas. Dr. Jialal says antioxidants have enormous benefits not only against heart disease but also other chronic diseases.

It's foolish to stop taking selenium which shows strong potential to prevent cancer or vitamin E and C, tied to protecting aging brains against memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, on misleading media reports. It's also discouraging that even some doctors, instead of reading the original research, rely on incomplete, inaccurate news reports for medical information and patient advice.

Our Multi Nutrient Formulas contain 1000 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E. Made in the USA. See related items below.