Another Side to Statins
Heart-healthy drugs show promise against inflammation, cancer and the flu
By Nathan Seppa
It’s been quite a ride for statins. Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor and their relatives are fast becoming household names. These cholesterol-lowering drugs have delivered a body blow to heart disease and stroke, two of the top four killers in Western society.
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All success comes with a price: Some scientists express concerns over the widespread use and possible overprescription of statins. Still, there’s no denying the evidence that they have cardiovascular benefits in many people. The drugs’ track record has earned high praise for the research team that first devised them — and even higher rewards for the companies cranking them out.
Just when it seems that business can’t get any better, another upside to statins is now emerging. Research suggests that the drugs have potent effects against diseases they weren’t designed to fight. Statins might make people less susceptible to fatal pneumonia, better able to survive a head injury and more apt to dodge a nasty case of the flu.