Researchers Link Lung Disease to Popular Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs
Posted Jan 06 2012 6:18pm
Use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) may influence susceptibility to or the progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD), according to a new study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).
“Based on earlier case reports of statin-associated ILD and data suggesting that smoking is associated with interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA), we hypothesized that statins would increase the risk for ILA in a population of smokers,” said George R. Washko MD, MMsC, and Gary M. Hunninghake MD, MPH, of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care. “Accordingly, we evaluated the association between statin use and ILA in a large cohort of current and former smokers from the COPDGene study. In addition to the association between statin use and ILA we found in humans, we also demonstrated that statin administration aggravated lung injury and fibrosis in bleomycin-treated mice.”
The study is published in the January 6, 2012 online issue of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) may influence susceptibility to or the progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD), according to a new study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).
“Based on earlier case reports of statin-associated ILD and data suggesting that smoking is associated with interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA), we hypothesized that statins would increase the risk for ILA in a population of smokers,” said George R. Washko MD, MMsC, and Gary M. Hunninghake MD, MPH, of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care. “Accordingly, we evaluated the association between statin use and ILA in a large cohort of current and former smokers from the COPDGene study. In addition to the association between statin use and ILA we found in humans, we also demonstrated that statin administration aggravated lung injury and fibrosis in bleomycin-treated mice.”
The study is published in the January 6, 2012 online issue of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.