Statins – a class of drug used to lower cholesterol – could reduce the risk of heart attack by almost 25 percent and are not, as previously believed, linked to cancer, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet.
Researchers at Oxford University in the U.K. worked with 20,000 patients who had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke; the volunteers were randomly assigned to take either a type of statin called simvastatin or a placebo for the next five years.
The researchers found that those on statins had a 23 percent lower risk of heart attack or stroke and showed no increased rates of developing cancer, even after taking the drugs for a total of 11 years. When those on the placebo were switched to statins after the five year trial, the original group continued to fare better, suggesting that the drugs have long-term benefits: the earlier patients begin taking them, the better.
"The reliable evidence of safety, with no excess risk of cancer or other major illnesses during over 11 years follow-up, is very reassuring for doctors who prescribe statins and the increasingly large numbers of patients who take them long-term to reduce their risk of vascular disease," explained study author Richard Bulbulia.