Cholesterol-busting statins such as Crestor (Rosuvastatin) and
Lipitor (Atorvastatin) are currently prescribed to nearly a tenth (7
million) of the population in the United Kingdom, working their magic by
raising good/protective cholesterol (HDL) and lowering bad cholesterol
(LDL) and triglycerides. The higher your cholesterol level, the higher
the chance of you suffering from a stroke or heart disease and thus
increasing the overall risk of having a heart attack due to your
arteries being clogged up with the fat-like substance known as
cholesterol.
Health experts are continuously exploring the potential of statins
though and already in the calendar year it has been found they could be
beneficial for asthma sufferers, have been linked to a reduction in stroke occurrences and evidence suggest that even the healthier ones among us may reap rewards from taking them.
Amazingly, yet another study has emerged that shows their
mind-boggling potential. This time, it is experts from the University of
Milan who have decided to spend time to analyse the health boost that
statins can bring-about, and they claim that a daily dose of
cholesterol-busters can slash the risk of developing fatal liver cancer.
Researchers at the University collated information from a number of
past studies that had focused on both statins and liver tumours. This
kind of review of data is referred to as a ‘meta-analysis’ and is
generally thought to be more accurate than other methods of analysis as
it is collecting together results from a large number of studies in
order to reach a more definitive conclusion on a particular medications
effectiveness; in this case it is statins.
Their analysis looked at findings from five previous studies and
uncovered that by taking statins on a regular basis, that person’s risk
of developing a tumour was dramatically cut by an incredible 42% when
compared against those who were not taking any form of statin
medication.
This may now reinforce the argument of many health experts who have
been calling for all people over the age of 50 to be prescribed statins
to help stop a wide range of chronic and potentially fatal conditions,
even if they are in the ‘low-risk’ category.
It is still not certain specifically how the statins work at offering
a barrier against the formation of a liver tumour, and more work may
need to be done in the future. In their report, published in the
European Journal of Cancer Prevention, the Italian researchers
commented: “Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer mortality
and its rates have recently been increasing in central and northern
Europe. This analysis suggests a favourable effect of statins on the
disease.”
After seeing the report, Dr Safia Danovi, Cancer Research UK’s senior
science information officer, gave his opinions and said: “This is
interesting work but it doesn’t mean that cancer patients should start
reaching for cholesterol-lowering drugs. Scientists, including our own,
are asking whether statins could be used to treat cancer but we’re still
a long way from a clear answer.”
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