Statins linked to lower risk of death from pneumonia

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People who take statins -- drugs to lower cholesterol -- before being admitted to a hospital with pneumonia were less likely to die in the months afterward, say researchers in Denmark.

A study published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine found the death rate among statin users 30 days after hospitalization for pneumonia was 10.3% compared with 15.7% for people not taking statins. The study examined data from 29,900 people. The lowest relative death rates linked to statin use were in people older than 80 and those with the bloodstream infection bacteremia.

Previous studies have suggested that statins somehow help people fight infection. Statins may prime the body’s immune response and help to prevent blood clotting and inflammation. The researchers said more studies are needed to see whether statins can be used with antibiotics in patients with pneumonia to improve survival. About 10% to 15% of people with pneumonia die from the disease.

- Shari Roan