Statins Reduce Rejection in Lung Transplant Patients

A study has found that statins, commonly used to lower cholesterol levels, can dramatically reduce mild-to-severe tissue rejection and also lower the potential for cirrhosis, improve pulmonary function, and increase longevity in lung transplant patients. The results were reported in the May 1, 2003, issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the journal of the American Thoracic Society.

Investigators examined the outcomes of 39 lung transplant patients who were prescribed statins for elevated lipids in their blood. The results were compared with 161 controls who did not receive these drugs. The six-year survival rate for the patients who took statins at any point after their operation was 91%, almost double that of the controls (54%).

The researchers, from the department of medicine and department of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh (PA, USA), concluded that statin use could have substantial clinical benefits following pulmonary transplantation. They noted, however, that their results need to be corroborated by a prospective randomized clinical trial before doctors begin prescribing widespread use of statins for lung transplant patients. A partial explanation for the benefit shown by statins is that statins are reported to exert a large number of highly varied anti-inflammatory effects.




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