Fitness and Health

Many adults suffer from high cholesterol as a result of bad diets, poor amounts of exercise or simply inherit the condition from their parents. While cholesterol is used by the body for several functions, too much “bad” cholesterol can cause cardiovascular disease. This is when the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) transport too much cholesterol throughout the blood stream than is needed, and the excess substance accumulates around the arterial walls of the heart. In order to stop this from happening, and thereby decreasing the risk of heart problems, people take a form of medication known as statins, the most popular being Simvastatin, which lowers overall cholesterol production in the liver.

The treatment has found large success in helping people treat high cholesterol, but a new study published in theJournal of Infectious Diseases has suggested that statins may also decrease the mortality rates in hospitalised patients suffering from influenza. Giving the medication, besides lowering cholesterol, a further potentially life-saving function.

This was discovered after evaluative research observed over 3,000 patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza within the United States. Of this number, nearly 33% were using or had been given statins prior to hospitalisation. Researchers took race, gender, age and other factors into account when comparing patients and mortality rates, and found that overall; patients who were not using statins during their influenza infection had double the chance of dying from the infection. Professor William Schaffner, M.D. and chair of Preventative Medicine, commented that the findings provide potential for a more effective combination treatment of influenza.

“We may be able to combine statins with antiviral drugs,” Schaffner said during an interview about the findings, “to provide better treatment for patients seriously ill with influenza.” As co-author of the influenza study, he still recommended that yearly vaccinations against the viral infection to be the most effective method for preventing the sickness in the first place.

Overall these results are a positive discovery as flu season hits one of its yearly “peaks”. Although not necessarily serious to younger individuals, the elderly are often at extreme risk when they contract any of the influenza virus and subsequent strains; but with the use of statins following this finding mortality rates could be effectively decreased with the aid of a relatively inexpensive medication. It’s unclear at this point as to the benefit, if any, they may have for strains like swine flu or avian flu, but given the problematic development of vaccines for those particular strains, it’s unlikely that they would provide an additional benefit.

If you suffer from influenza and wish to know more about the condition and possible treatments, you can view ourInfluenza condition page where we hope you find the information you are looking for. Alternatively, should you have contracted the flu, you can visit our Tamiflu treatment page for treatment options.

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