A new study suggests that for current and former smokers, statins may help slow down chest muscle loss, while aspirin could have the opposite effect, contributing to increased muscle loss.
These findings were published in the January 2025 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.
Many smokers and former smokers take statins to manage high cholesterol and aspirin to prevent heart disease.
However, research has shown that this group is already at higher risk of losing skeletal muscle, especially those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
COPD is a serious lung disease that includes conditions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It can be caused by smoking, pollution, or genetic factors and affects more than 30 million people in the U.S.
It is also the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Muscle loss is a major concern for people with COPD, as it can worsen their overall health and make breathing even more difficult.
To better understand how medications affect muscle loss, researchers analyzed chest CT scans from 4,191 participants in the COPD Genetic Epidemiology (COPDGene) study. They compared data from two different time points to see changes in pectoralis muscle area (chest muscle size) and muscle density.
Dr. Toru Shirahata, a pulmonologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, led the study.
He explained, “Smokers and former smokers often have heart disease and diabetes, so they are commonly prescribed statins and aspirin. By studying their effects on chest muscle, we found that statins may help reduce muscle loss, while aspirin could contribute to more muscle loss.”
The study suggests that doctors should take these findings into account when treating smokers and former smokers.
By better understanding how common medications affect muscle mass, healthcare providers may be able to personalize treatments to improve patients’ long-term health.
This study highlights an important connection between common medications and muscle health in smokers and former smokers. Since muscle loss can worsen health outcomes in people with COPD, identifying factors that speed up or slow down this process is crucial.
The findings suggest that statins could have protective benefits for muscle, while aspirin might increase the risk of muscle loss. However, it’s important to note that this research is based on imaging data and does not prove cause and effect. More studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine why aspirin may contribute to muscle loss.
If future research supports these results, doctors may need to reconsider the risks and benefits of aspirin for smokers and former smokers with COPD. They may also explore alternative ways to protect muscle health while managing heart disease and cholesterol levels.
Overall, this study offers new insights into how commonly used medications affect muscle health in a high-risk population, paving the way for more personalized treatment approaches in the future.
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The research findings can be found in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.
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