Cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce mortality for influenza patients

Vanderbilt University Medical Center ^ | December 16, 2011

[decimon]

Statins, traditionally known as cholesterol-lowering drugs, may reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza, according to a new study released online by the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

It is the first published observational study to evaluate the relationship between statin use and mortality in hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection, according to Vanderbilt's William Schaffner, M.D., professor and chair of Preventive Medicine.

"We may be able to combine statins with antiviral drugs to provide better treatment for patients seriously ill with influenza," said Schaffner, who co-authored the study led by Meredith Vandermeer, MPH, of the Oregon Public Health Division.

[decimon]

Ping

[Bedford Forrest]

All this sudden huffing and puffing about the wonders of statins couldn’t have anything to do with the lapse of Pfizer’s patent on Lipitor, could it now? Lipitor, which according to one very respected teaching doctor I know, when prescribed to a hundred men with high LDLs, will actually protect two of them. Meanwhile, the stuff is trashing your CoQ10 levels - and don’t forget your liver tests - ain’t big pharm wonderful?

[dangerdoc]

If big pharm were as evil as you think, why would they wait until after it was off patent to make up this story?

[Bedford Forrest]

For the same reason they [Pfizer] are offering Lipitor for $4/month to ‘qualified’ buyers - maintain market share in the face of competition from the generics. I’m not sure ‘evil’ is the correct term - how about ‘ethically obtuse’?

[Praxeologue]

http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/12/12/infdis.jir695.full.pdf

[Praxeologue]

evidence suggesting that statins may positively affect many organ systems and disease states independent of lipid reduction has emerged [1, 2]. As inhibitors of 3-hydroxy- 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, statins inhibit the synthesis of products of the mevalonate pathway, such as isoprenoids and geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate [1, 3, 4]. They have been shown to modify intercellular interactions and cellular chemotaxis of the immune system and reduce the release of cytokines and acutephase proteins. Recent review articles, evaluating mostly observational studies, suggest a potential beneficial role for statins in the treatment of sepsis and communityacquired pneumonia [4, 5].

... and now influenza.

What other unintended and as-yet-unknown effects do these massively over-prescribed drugs have? There is only cheerleading from the research community.

My LDL level declined by 25% when I become a vegan. My research on Lipitor led me to a natural solution.

[Does so]

If big pharm were as evil as you think, why would they wait until after it was off patent to make up this story?

My teaching doctor put me on lovastatin about 20 years ago. This was after Scandinavian studies showed great promise; since then, statins are also showing great promise in stroke-prevention in arteries feeding the brain and delaying any onset of Alzheimers. Although switching between three different statins—including Lipitor, Pravachol, and Mevacor—I never contracted the flu during those 20 years: my few "colds" last only hours!

Now that I'm approaching 70, I'd previously credited hours of natural Florida sunlight—over a period of a decade and a half—for my excellent health history. Perhaps it's a combination of both extra sun (Science News article that appeared here) and statins.