title: Are statins analogues of vitamin D?
abstract: There are many reasons why the dietary-heart-cholesterol hypothesis should be questioned, and why statins might be acting in some other way to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Here, I propose that rather than being cholesterol-lowering drugs per se, statins act as vitamin D analogues, and explain why. This proposition is based on published observations that the unexpected and unexplained clinical benefits produced by statins have also been shown to be properties of vitamin D. It seems likely that statins activate vitamin D receptors.
authors.affiliation: Blackburn Royal Infirmary, Blackburn, Lancashire BB6 8HE, UK. Susan.Rogers@elht.nhs.uk
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Grimes
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000187:drug effects*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D; D002784:Cholesterol