Do Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Treat the Flu?

A large study from the Oregon Public Health Division showed that statins such as Lipitor (I take Pravistatin) may lead to your surviving the flu. Earlier studies found that statins improved the chances of surviving pneumonia and bloodstream infections. This new research is the first large one in the United States to look at statins for flu.

The study found that people who were taking cholesterol lowering drugs when they came down with the flu and were hospitalized had two times the chance of surviving than people who weren't on statins. The study looked at 2,800 people hospitalized with seasonal flu in 10 states during 2007-2008. Medical records show that over 800 patients got statin drugs while in the hospital. They may have been taking statin drugs before they reached the hospital but this wasn't a variable that researchers had been looking for. Too bad, actually, because that would have confirmed if statins prevent perhaps more serious cases of the flu.

More than 3% of the patients who didn't take statins died in the hospital or in the following month after they went home. About 1 1/2% of the patients who used statins died. Other health factors and age were looked at by researchers and still found the same benefit of using statin drugs.

The downsides of statins are low. They are inexpensive and used a lot all around the world. I have absolutely no side effects from my drug (other than lowering my cholesterol levels!).

Since many people who need the swine flu vaccine aren't getting it because their doctors do not have it, a treatment such as a statin drug would be amazing. It seems that drugs like Tamiflue are only being used for the sickest people but I wonder who the sickest people are. If it is based on age - the very young and the very old - that leaves a lot of people with a whole life ahead of them. Without playing G-d, one has to wonder how much we should spend to treat a 98-year old.

Statins not only reduce cholesterol but they reduce inflammation. A lot of the negative effects of the flu (regular or H1N1) come from inflammation. As one with an autoimmune disorder I know that the immune system is crucial to fighting viruses. Autoimmune disorders often have inflammation as one symptom so knowing I am on a statin is very comforting.

Last week the federal Food and Drug Administration gave permission to use the experimental drug peramivir as a swine flu treatment.
An Asian study done recently showed that a single dose of peramivir cleared up flu symptoms as effectively as five days of Tamiflu pills. That is very good news!

Sources

Reuters

Toledoblade.com