In the Lancet, American authors published the results of a study in which more than 10,000 male patients, former veterans, with a diagnosis of dyslipidemia were examined. These subjects, with an average age of 58 years, could be observed over a period of ten years. A performance test was performed on all of them at the beginning for various reasons.
However, with an average mortality rate of 22 for 1000 per year in the cohort, interesting differences and similarities by performance were found in both the statin group and the no-statin group.
Among those treated with medication (n=5032) with good fitness (MET >9 in the performance test), mortality was 68% lower than among those who were more likely to be less fit (MET<5), whereas in the group not treated with statins (n=5011), mortality was 63% lower among the more fit than among the less fit. In addition, the authors found a positive interaction between physical activity and statins (p=0.007). They conclude their study by noting that regular exercise is more effective than continuing treatment in those patients who tolerate the drug poorly.
Comment: “If physical activity could be packaged in a pill, it would be the most prescribed drug in the world” – reading this article, I am reminded of this older claim by an author, also American, as well as the diverse evidence of the broad effectiveness of exercise on a wide variety of body parts and functions and disorders. But I also think with great astonishment about the fact that the (professional) prescription of “sport” is still done stepmotherly in medical practice. Despite proven efficiency and affordability!
In this situation, it is also worth mentioning that statins often trigger muscle discomfort, causing an inability to move in addition to pain. However, the side effects from the almost equally effective sport are as good as insignificant!
- Kokkinos PF, et al: Interactive effects of fitness and statin treatment on mortality risk in veterans with dyslipidaemia: a cohort study. Lancet 2013; 381: 394-399.
