A recent study has given us a promising hint that statins, commonly used to lower cholesterol, might have another important benefit.
They could help protect people with bowel problems, like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, from developing and dying from colorectal cancer. Let’s dive into what this means.
What Did the Study Find?
Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden looked at over 10,500 people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a term that includes conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Half of these people were taking statins, while the other half were not.
After following them for an average of 5.6 years, researchers found something interesting: fewer people in the statin group got colorectal cancer compared to those who weren’t taking the drug.
In simple numbers, 70 people in the statin group got colorectal cancer, compared to 90 in the group not taking statins. What’s more, fewer people in the statin group died from any cause during the study period.
For every 200 people with IBD treated with statins, one case of colorectal cancer or related death was prevented within ten years.
Why Does It Matter?
People with IBD are at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. If something as simple as a cholesterol-lowering drug could reduce that risk, that’s a big deal.
According to Jiangwei Sun, the study’s first author, this is especially true for people with ulcerative colitis. Sun does note, however, that more research is needed to say the same for Crohn’s disease.
The study also found that the longer a person had been taking statins, the better they seemed to work in preventing cancer. This effect was noticeable after just two years of treatment.
What Comes Next?
This is promising, but it’s not a done deal yet. According to the researchers, these results are the strongest evidence yet that statins could help prevent colorectal cancer in people with IBD.
However, they’re not yet ready to say that everyone with IBD should start taking statins.
More research is needed to confirm these findings and to answer important questions like the best dose and how long the treatment should last to be effective.
Overall, the study offers hope that a simple, already-available medication could make a big difference in the lives of people with bowel diseases.
As we wait for more research, it’s a topic worth discussing with your healthcare provider, especially if you or someone you know is living with IBD.
If you care about cancer risk, please read studies that exercise may stop cancer in its tracks, and vitamin D can cut cancer death risk.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies that yogurt and high-fiber diet may cut lung cancer risk, and results showing that new cancer treatment may reawaken the immune system.
The study was published in eClinicalMedicine.
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