As of: April 1, 2024, 4:59 a.m
By: Andreas Beez
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The cardiologist Professor Dr. Alexander Leber heads the Isar Heart Center in Munich's Isar Clinic on Sonnenstrasse. © Achim Frank Schmidt
Cholesterol-lowering drug scandal: Around 100 people with severe kidney problems have been admitted to clinics. Patients are unsettled. A Munich heart professor explains things.
Munich - Lowering high cholesterol levels naturally and without side effects - this is the promise that manufacturers of food supplements based on red yeast rice advertise. It contains monacolin. This substance is identical to the prescription drug lovastatin. “But both Lovastatin and Monacolin K can cause significant side effects,” warns the consumer advice center. In addition, interactions with a variety of medications are possible, including anticoagulants. Blood sugar levels can also be increased, the consumer advice center continues.
In Japan, at least 4 deaths and over 100 hospitalizations have been linked to Red Rice supplements. The manufacturer has delivered the raw materials to many other countries. Be extra careful.
The consumer advice center in a current warning about over-the-counter cholesterol-lowering drugs based on red yeast rice.
Risk of serious side effects for muscles, nervous system and intestines
Serious side effects on the muscles, nervous system and intestines can occur from a daily dose of 3 mg monacolins. That is why the EU has already restricted the use of food supplements or monacolins containing red yeast rice. According to their specifications, dietary supplements may only contain less than 3 mg of monacolin per daily dose and no more than this amount may be added to foods. The monacolin content per serving must be stated. The products must also carry several instructions for use and warnings. From a daily dose of 5 mg Monakolin K, Red Rice products are classified as medicinal products requiring approval in Germany.
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100 people in the clinic: Controversial dietary supplements are also available in Germany
Now dietary supplements containing red yeast rice, which are also available in Germany without a prescription, are coming even more sharply into the crosshairs of the regulatory authorities. A drug scandal involving such over-the-counter cholesterol-lowering drugs is currently shaking all of Japan. The deaths of four people there have now been linked to these means. In addition, around 100 people were hospitalized with kidney problems. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced possible protective measures “as soon as the cause is clarified,” reports the AFP news agency.
Munich heart professor Alexander Leber: “I would strongly advise against these drugs”
Many patients in Munich are also unsettled; according to information from our editorial team, pharmacists and doctors are confronted with worried inquiries. “I would strongly advise against foods based on red yeast rice,” said the cardiologist and medical director of the Isar Heart Center in Munich’s Isar Clinic, Professor Dr. Alexander Leber, in a conversation with Münchner Merkur and tz.
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It is not necessary for patients with elevated blood lipid levels to use such products. “In Germany we have a wealth of proven cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins available. They have been well researched and have proven themselves over the years. “There are also newer medications that can also reduce cholesterol levels very effectively,” says Leber.
This is what lies behind the terms LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol
Cholesterol is produced in the liver and absorbed through food. It is needed as an important building block for the body's cells and, in moderation, plays a role in the formation of bile acid and the production of important hormones. “So that the cholesterol can be transported into the body via the individual blood vessels, the body packs the fats into protein packets and forms lipoproteins, consisting of fat (lipid) and protein (protein): LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol,” explains the foundation German stroke aid background.
The positive effect of statins on cholesterol reduction has been confirmed in numerous studies
Statins lower LDL cholesterol in the blood and thereby inhibit the development and progression of arteriosclerosis. They protect against heart attacks and strokes. As the German Heart Foundation reports, the “Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study” with 4,444 patients demonstrated this effect in 1994. Since then, this finding has been confirmed in a large number of scientific studies with various statins.
Newer medications in syringe form as another alternative for lowering cholesterol
In addition to statins, the drug inclisiran has recently received particular attention in specialist circles. It belongs to the group of so-called PCSK9 inhibitors and is administered as an injection under the skin. That is why it is sometimes referred to in the media as an “injection against heart attack”. These PCSK9 inhibitors ultimately ensure that the liver can absorb and break down more harmful LDL cholesterol.
Cardiologist Professor Alexander Leber warns of increasing patient uncertainty
Against the background of the scandal surrounding cholesterol-lowering drugs based on red yeast rice, the Munich heart specialist Leber warns that patient uncertainty will continue to grow. “Treating elevated cholesterol levels is a valuable investment in health because, especially when combined with high blood pressure and/or diabetes, they are among the biggest risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, aneurysms, thrombosis or stroke,” emphasizes Leber.
The tricky thing is that you can't feel bad blood lipid levels - nor can you feel high blood pressure, which can also rise unnoticed at night.
Drug scandal: Government in Tokyo takes other manufacturers of cholesterol-lowering drugs to task
Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical scandal in Japan continues to expand. The government in Tokyo has commissioned other manufacturers to check their products. Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said other countries were also informed about the suspected problems with the products via the Japanese embassies.
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