Statins taken by millions to lower cholesterol could treat pneumonia

[Guest guest]

Statins taken by millions to lower cholesterol could treat pneumonia

Statins taken by millions of people in the UK could be used as a

treatment for pneumonia after doctors found patients with the

infection were less likely to die if they were on the drugs.

Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom*

By , Medical Editor

28 Oct 2008

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/3268181/St

atins-taken-by-millions-to-lower-cholesterol-could-treat-

pneumonia.html

Researchers found that deaths from pneumonia were lower in patients

who were already taking the drugs, which are widely used to lower

cholesterol.

It is thought that this new statin benefit may work by lessening the

inflammation in the lungs which is caused by pneumonia.

Over 600,000 people contract pneumonia each year and it can be

especially lethal in the elderly, those who are already ill or

already have lung disorders.

It can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungal infections and can

take hold after a bout of flu or as a complication of surgery or

cancer.

A study of almost 30,000 adults who had been admitted to hospital

with pneumonia between 1997 and 2004 found 1,371 of them were

already taking statins.

The mortality rate amongst those on statins was 10.3 per cent after

30 days in statin users compared to 15.7 per cent amongst those not

taking the drugs.

After 90 days the mortality rate was 16.8 per cent in statin users

compared to 22.4 per cent of those not on the drug.

Dr Reimar Thomsen, of Aarhus University and Aalborg Hospital in

Denmark, said: " The differences became apparent during the first few

weeks of hospitalisation, a period associated with a high number of

pneumonia-related deaths and they increased only minimally between

30 and 90 days after admission, which suggests that statin use is

beneficial in the early phase of infection. "

They said statins may change the immune system's response to the

infection, may affect blood clotting and improve the functioning of

blood vessels which would help patients with bloodstream infections.

The statin effect was most pronounced in patients over the age of 80

and those who had bacteria pneumonia.

Dr Thomsen said: " Out study adds to the accumulating evidence that

statin use is associated with improved prognosis after severe

infections. The decrease in mortality associated with statin use

seems to be substantial in patients with pneumonia requiring

hospital admission.

" Given the availability of statins with their relatively low cost

and mild adverse effects, positive results of statin therapy in

trials in patients with pneumonia would have substantial clinical

and public health implications. "

The study is published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

In an accompanying editorial Dr Kasturi Halder, of the University of

Notre Dame, in Indiana, USA, said statins seemed to have a

protective effect if patients were already on them but it may not

have the same effect if given once the infection is apparent because

it takes several days to have an affect.

He said: " However, because statins target the host, drug resistance,

a major problem in treating bacterial infections, is not likely to

develop.

" Thus it may be useful to consider clinical research testing of

combinations of statins with existing antibiotic agents to evaluate

whether it is possible to develop optimised combination therapies

against both acute and persistent infections. "

A separate study presented to the American College of Chest

Physicians annual meeting suggests that statins may be associated

with a significant reduction in deep vein thrombosis in patients

with cancer.

The study author Dr Danai Khemasuwan, of the Albert Enstein Medical

Centre in Philadelphia, USA, said: " We hope that our research alerts

the scientific community to the potential of statins in reducing

venous thromboembolism. "

" This is a very interesting study which shows that people who happen

to be taking statins when they develop pneumonia have a better

chance of survival " , says Dr Noemi Eiser, Honorary Medical Director

of the British Lung Foundation.

" We need more research to see why this happens and whether statins

could be used as an additional treatment for pneumonia.'

Eight per cent of patients on statins developed a blood clot

compared to 21 per cent in those not on the drug even when

complications such as smoking, immobilisation, chemotherapy were

taken into account.