Sunday, November 1, 2009

High cholesterol medicine may fight flu

Here’s some interesting and, perhaps, beneficial news for those you, like me, who take cholesterol lowering statins. They may improve your odds against the flu.

The results of a recent study, “Role of Statins in Preventing Death among Patients Hospitalized with Lab-confirmed Influenza Infections”, were presented Friday at the annual Infectious Diseases Society of America conference in Philadelphia.

The researchers said, “There is growing evidence that statins have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects that could reduce the risk of mortality from severe infections.”

They examined the role of statins in reducing mortality in adults hospitalized with lab-confirmed influenza. They analyzed data collected via chart review of patients ≥18 years for two influenza seasons to evaluate the association between receiving statins during hospitalization and death.

Patients who received statins were more likely to be older, male, white and Asian, to have underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and to have been vaccinated against influenza that season. Age and cardiovascular disease were associated with increased odds of death, while administration of statins during hospitalization was significantly protective.

They concluded “Statin use may be associated with reduced mortality in patients hospitalized with influenza.”

Well, we’ll see what future research produces, but maybe there’s a two for one benefit here.

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