| Page 2 of 3 < > |
Quick Study
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
FIND THIS STUDY Nov. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
LEARN MORE ABOUT cancer at http:/
PNEUMONIA
Fatal infections appear less likely with statins.
THE QUESTION Some studies have shown that statins help reduce the severity of infection. Might that apply to pneumonia?
THIS STUDY analyzed data on 29,900 people older than age 15 (most older than 40) who were hospitalized for pneumonia. At the time, 1,372 of them were taking statins. During the next three months, 6,611 died as a result of pneumonia. In the first 30 days, the mortality rate was about 10 percent for people taking statins and 16 percent for those not taking the cholesterol-lowering drug. The 90-day rate was 17 percent vs. 22 percent.
WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? People taking statins and people susceptible to pneumonia, a lung infection that can strike at any age but is most common among older people and those recovering from a severe illness or dealing with a chronic disease.
CAVEATS The study found an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship, between statins and pneumonia. The authors wrote that the statin users might have had better access to health care.
