Research has suggested that slow blood flow may hamper the effects of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins. Scientists from Imperial University have shown that sluggish blood flow prevents statins from causing production of healthy anti-oxidant molecules.
Statins primary use is to lower the levels of dangerous LDL cholesterol in the blood. People with high cholesterol are at a much greater risk of developing atheroscelerosis, or furring of the arteries. This can lead to heart attacks and strokes and it has been estimated that 10,000 UK residents lives are saved through statin use each year
As well as lowering cholesterol, statins also trigger the creation of powerful antioxidants in the bloodstream, by boosting the levels of the enzyme heme oxygenese.
The team discovered that in cells where there was fast and steady blood flow, the levels of H-O1 were markedly higher than in those cells exposed to irregular or sluggish blood flow.
The study showed that statins fail to work best in the areas where the body’s defences are the weakest. Blood vessels with fatty deposits from high cholesterol are most likely to have sluggish blood flow as the blood is blocked from moving about.
Dr. Justin Mason, who worked on the study, described this as a ‘double whammy’, saying that the arteries most likely to become diseased were also the regions where statins might not be working to their full potential.
The team published their research in The Journal of Biological Chemistry. They hope now to be able to discover a way to turn off the protective mechanisms of in the vulnerable arteries, or find some other means of maximizing the potential of statins.