Simvastatin a type of statin was found to hinder the positive effects of exercise for obese and overweight adults.
Statins, the most widely prescribed drugs worldwide, are often suggested to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease in individuals with obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of medical disorders including excess body fat and/or high levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and/or cholesterol.
Statins
Statins are new wonder drugs that are proving to be efficacious, not merely in relieving symptoms but also offering several health benefits.
Advertisement
"Daily physical activity is needed to maintain or improve fitness, and thus improve health outcomes. However, if patients start exercising and taking statins at the same time, it seems that statins block the ability of exercise to improve their fitness levels," said John Thyfault, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at MU.
Thyfault said that many cardiologists want to prescribe statins to all patients over a certain age regardless of whether they have metabolic syndrome; the drugs also are recommended for people with Type 2 diabetes. He recommends that cardiologists more closely weigh the benefits and risks of statins given this new data about their effect on exercise training.
![Exercise]( "Exercise")
It is important for us to understand the power of daily exercise. Only then can we motivate ourselves to inculcate the habit of exercise on a daily basis.
Thyfault and his colleagues measured cardiorespiratory fitness in 37 previously sedentary, obese individuals ages 25-59 with low fitness levels. The participants followed the same exercise regimen on the MU campus for 12 weeks; 18 of the 37 people also took 40 mg of simvastatin daily.
Statins significantly affected participants' exercise outcomes. Participants in the exercise-only group increased their cardiorespiratory fitness by an average of 10 percent compared to a 1.5 percent increase among participants also prescribed statins.
Additionally, skeletal muscle mitochondrial content, the site where muscle cells turn oxygen into energy, decreased by 4.5 percent in the group taking statins while the exercise-only group had a 13 percent increase, a normal response following exercise training.
Thyfault suggests that future research determine whether lower doses of simvastatin or other types of statins similarly affect people's exercise outcomes and thus their risk for diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.
Starting a statin regimen after exercising and obtaining a higher fitness level may reduce the drugs' effects on fitness, he said.
The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: ANI
Exercise
It is important for us to understand the power of daily exercise. Only then can we motivate ourselves to inculcate the habit of exercise on a daily basis.
Advertisement
Thyfault and his colleagues measured cardiorespiratory fitness in 37 previously sedentary, obese individuals ages 25-59 with low fitness levels. The participants followed the same exercise regimen on the MU campus for 12 weeks; 18 of the 37 people also took 40 mg of simvastatin daily.
Statins significantly affected participants' exercise outcomes. Participants in the exercise-only group increased their cardiorespiratory fitness by an average of 10 percent compared to a 1.5 percent increase among participants also prescribed statins.
Additionally, skeletal muscle mitochondrial content, the site where muscle cells turn oxygen into energy, decreased by 4.5 percent in the group taking statins while the exercise-only group had a 13 percent increase, a normal response following exercise training.
Thyfault suggests that future research determine whether lower doses of simvastatin or other types of statins similarly affect people's exercise outcomes and thus their risk for diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.
Starting a statin regimen after exercising and obtaining a higher fitness level may reduce the drugs' effects on fitness, he said.
The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: ANI
Quiz on Fitness
Who wouldn't want to look fit in the current scenario where young and old are hitting the gym to look and feel fighting fit? We invite you to participate in this quiz on fitness and check if you are well informed on what it takes to remain fit all through your life.
Advertisement
 Few Patients Experience Memory Loss While Taking Statins: ResearchResearchers at University of Arizona have found a possible reason for the reversible memory loss that some patients experience while taking statins, a class of global top-selling cholesterol-lowering drugs. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Drug News
The study explores whether CDNF could influence the progression of ALS in rodent models and to elucidate the mechanism through which it operates.
Amoxicillin-clavulanate use in acute sinusitis patients is associated with a higher incidence of adverse events.
Professionals advocate for enhanced education of patients and caregivers, and creation of more effective child-resistant systems for monitoring ADHD medication.
In June, WHO raised concerns about 7 Indian cough syrups after complaints from several countries about contamination and health issues.
Women using hormonal contraception, along with their healthcare providers, should explore alternative pain relief options instead of NSAIDs.
