Two new studies find that statins, strong anti-inflammatories, do not reduce the risk of cancer.

Statins, which include the drugs Lipitor, Zocor, Mevaco, Crestor, Pravachol and Lescol, are used to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.

For the past few years, several small studies have suggested that statins dramatically reduce the risk of many common forms of cancer, mainly because of their powerful anti-inflammatory activity. Those studies, performed in both human and animal models, have suggested that statins are effective as an anticancer treatment. The former studies were not randomized studies, or ones in which participants are selected by chance. Researchers consider randomized studies to provide the strongest evidence

The two new studies that disprove the earlier ones were randomized.

In one, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers compiled data from 26 randomized studies involving more than 73,000 patients. They concluded that statins had no effect on the risk of developing or dying from any form of cancer.

The other study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, laid to rest the notion that statins are particularly effective in treating and preventing colorectal cancer. Researchers found no link between statin use and colorectal cancer when they looked at data from more than 132,000 people enrolled in the cancer prevention study.

One of the study authors said that while people with high cholesterol should continue to take statins, potential side effects like liver damage or muscle pain would discourage doctors from prescribing them to prevent cancer.

This Article is from MyDNA.com

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