The Scoop on Statin Drugs

Lifesaving Side Effects of Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

If you take Celebrex, Lipitor, Zocor or other drugs called "statins" to lower your cholesterol, you should be aware of some potential "unintended" benefits that may lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Some studies indicate they may also benefit in cases of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.

The most common statin drugs are:
Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
Fluvastatin (Lescol)
Lovastatin (Mevacor)
Pravastatin (Pravachol)
Rosuvastatin (Crestor)
Simvastatin (Zocor)

Lipitor is the highest-selling drug in the United States.

The results of recent studies investigating these drugs are indeed encouraging, although more research remains to be done.

Here's how statins help:
NOTE: These preliminary findings are no reason to take Statin Pharmaceutical Drugs if you do not require them, and were not told by your doctor to use them. This is not meant to be medical advice. Please ask your doctor if you have questions about any of the information below.

Statin Pharmaceuticals and a Lower Risk of Breast Cancer:
Drugs aimed at lowering cholesterol are thought to work by blocking the production of an enzyme called "HMG-CoA reductase." This enzyme causes a series of events that ends with the production of cholesterol.

One study involving more than 40,000 women determined that those taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol had "a 51% lower risk of developing breast cancer." An earlier study indicated that "men who used statins had half the risk of advanced prostate cancer compared with men who did not use the drugs.

About these studies, done at Overtoon-Brooke VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dr. Vikas Khurana warned that people who have normal cholesterol should not take these drugs simply to prevent cancer, as they have some negative side effects, including muscle tissue damage and may even raise the risk of cancer in the elderly. Dr. Khurana stated that these drugs need to be carefully monitored."�