Can Your Statin Help Protect You from the Damaging Effects of the Flu?

Saturday October 31, 2009

We're in flu season, and with all the media attention that the flu has been getting lately, everyone is either running towards their healthcare provider's office for their flu shot - or running away from anyone with even a slight sign of having the flu. But if you're taking a statin to lower your cholesterol, there's a new study that suggests that your statin may protect you from more than heart disease - it may help protect you from the devastating effects of the flu.

This new study, which was sponsored by the Centers of Disease Control, looked at roughly 2800 individuals hospitalized and diagnosed with an influenza infection through laboratory confirmation. Of those individuals, about 800 of them took a statin while in the hospital. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that 3.2% of individuals not taking a statin died from flu complications, compared to 2.1% of individuals taking statins. Statins are known to have healthy effects on the body - other than lowering cholesterol. Statins can reduce inflammation, which could contribute to heart disease if the inflammation is located within blood vessels.

While we need more proof before statins are administered to everyone with the flu, this information looks promising. The flu can be damaging to the body, and this is mostly due to inflammation induced by the virus and your immune system.