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March 19th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda MONDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) — Statin drugs, which are used
to lower cholesterol, might reduce a bit the risk of developing pneumonia,
a new study suggests.
Researchers analyzed data from a large international study that looked
at the efficacy of rosuvastatin (Crestor) in preventing heart disease. The
trial included almost 18,000 adults aged 50 or older who had no history of
heart disease or diabetes. Participants were randomly selected to receive
Crestor or an inactive placebo.
“These data from a major randomized trial support the hypothesis that
statin treatment may be associated with a modest protective effect against
some infections,” said lead researcher Dr. Victor Novack, head of the
Clinical Research Center at Soroka University Medical Center in
Israel.
“We consider this analysis to be an additional step toward a definite
trial that will specifically investigate the statin effect on infection,”
he said.
The researchers also found a decrease in some other types of infections
such as soft tissue infections, gynecologic infections and fungal
infections, Novack said.
In the past, statins such as Lipitor and others have been touted by
some researchers for protecting brain function and lowering the risk for
multiple sclerosis. However, they have also been linked to memory loss,
depression and an increased risk for developing diabetes.
The new study was published March 19 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical
Association Journal).
Novack’s group found that during roughly two years of follow-up, 214 of
those taking the statin developed pneumonia, compared with 257 of those
receiving the placebo.
While the study uncovered an association between statin use and a
decrease in pneumonia, it did not prove a cause-and-effect
relationship.
One problem with the finding may be that people taking statins take
better care of themselves, the so-called “healthy user effect.”
However, Novack discounts this explanation. “The randomized nature of
our trial of more than 17,000 men and women — study participants were not
aware whether they are treated with statin or placebo — excludes this
possibility,” he said.
“The effect observed in our trial is modest as compared to the
observational studies, but appears to be robust,” he added. “These results
can be used as a basis for the further investigations.”
Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New
York City, said that “this study shows a very modest, maybe minimal
decrease in pneumonia in people who use statins. It’s hard to say this is
significant.”
Horovitz added, “I don’t think you would start somebody on statins
just because it might reduce their possibility of pneumonia. You would
give them a vaccine against pneumococcal pneumonia. But you don’t put them
on a statin if you want to reduce pneumonia.”
And Horovitz noted, the study doesn’t take into account whether or not
any of the participants had been vaccinated, which could throw the figures
off.
“If somebody is on a statin and they have a slightly less chance of
getting pneumonia that’s great, but it wouldn’t be a reason to initiate
statins,” he stressed.
Another expert, Dr. David Friedman, a cardiologist at North Shore-LIJ
Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y., commented that “there has been some
thought that statins act as an anti-inflammatory above and beyond
cholesterol lowering.”
However, statins aren’t benign — they do have some side effects. “So
it’s premature for anyone to start taking statins to prevent pneumonia,”
Friedman said.
Two study co-authors have received consultation fees and funding from
AstraZeneca, the makers of Crestor.
More information
For more about statins, visit the U.S.
National Library of Medicine.
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