Cholesterol lowering statins may cut H1N1 swine flu deaths by half: Study

Statins may help the body from inflammation flare up in H1N1 influenza attack

Cholesterol lowering statin drugs such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) or rosuvastatin (Crestor) may be able to cut down risk of death from H1N1 swine flu pandemic infection by half, a new study found.

Cholesterol lowering statins help the body cope better with H1N1 swine flu infection.

And those people who are taking any of the statin drugs -atorvastatin, simvastatin (Zocor), rosuvastatin, pravastatin (Pravachol), lovastatin (Mevacor) – are almost 50 percent less likely to die from influenza infection, reported Meredith Vandermeer of the Oregon Public Health Division.

Vandermeer, who led the team of researchers, including at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studies the case reports of some 2,800 people who were hospitalized with seasonal influenza in 10 states during the 2007-2008 flu season.

801 patients of the 2,800 people in the study were taking statins -atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, pravastatin (Pravachol), lovastatin (Mevacor) – while getting admitted for flu infection and continued taking them while hospitalized.

Seventeen patients who were taking statins died while in the hospital or within a month afterward, compared to 64 who were not taking statins, Vandermeer said.

Patients who were on mechanical ventilators and unable to take their prescribed statins were excluded from the studies.

In short, 2.1 percent of patients taking statins died, compared to 3.2 percent of patients not taking statins. These results implied that patients taking statins had a 50% less chance to die out of flu infection.

However, the researchers did not say which brand of the available statins- atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), rosuvastatin (Crestor), pravastatin (Pravachol), lovastatin (Mevacor) – is found to be more effective in cutting down death risk from influenza infection.

Analysis is being done to figure out the brand of statins which more effective in reducing the death risk from influenza than the other, researchers said.

“Our preliminary study shows these cholesterol-lowering medications called statins are associated with a decrease in mortality,” Vandermeer stated in a news conference at a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, according to reports.

Analysts feel that the research suggests there may be a role for statins in influenza treatment .

Statins role in brining down death in influenza patients has been brought to the public attention in a few other earlier studies as well.

Statins may be helping the body from flaring up of inflammation of body tissues and organs — a common cause leading to death in influenza patients.

Inflammation is the result of body’s response to prevent attack of virus and bacteria through a cascade of chemical reaction. Sometimes inflammatory response from the immune system itself can trigger herat and artery diseases.

In some cases of H1N1 infection, there can be an over-reaction of the inflammatory reponse leading to death.

What are statins?

Statins are a class of medicines that are frequently used to lower blood cholesterol levels. Statins inhibit an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which controls cholesterol production in the liver. Statins are able to block the action of HMG-CoA reductase in the liver. Although cholesterol is necessary for normal cell and body function, very high levels of it can lead to atherosclerosis, a condition where cholesterol-containing plaques build up in arteries and block blood flow. By reducing blood cholesterol levels, statins lower the risk of chest pain (angina), heart attack, and stroke.

Statins act to replace the HMG-CoA that exists in the liver, thereby slowing down the cholesterol production process. Additional enzymes in the liver cell sense that cholesterol production has decreased and respond by creating a protein that leads to an increase in the production of LDL (low density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol) receptors. These receptors relocate to the liver cell membranes and bind to passing LDL and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein). The LDL and VLDL then enter the liver and are digested.

Some of the commonly used statins include: atorvastatin (Lipitor, Torvast); cerivastatin (Lipobay, Baycol)  – withdrawn from the market in August, 2001 due to risk of serious rhabdomyolysis; pravastatin (Pravachol, Selektine, Lipostat); Lovastatin (Mevacor, Altocor, Altoprev); mevastatin; pitavastatin (Livalo, Pitava); simvastatin (Zocor, Lipex); rosuvastatin (Crestor), fluvastatin (Lescol) etc.