ANOTHER NON-CARDIAC USE FOR STATINS

The HMG Co-A reductase or commonly called "statins " have never cease to amaze me. I was very impress with the early studies which showed that "statins " prevent coronary heart disease, primarily and secondarily. Then we learned that statins lower inflammation. By so doing ( besides LDL-C reduction ), it produces cardio and vascular protection. There is some data that it prevents hypertension, diabetes and atrial fibrillation. Cardiac wise, it would appear that statins lower LDL-cholesterol and also lowers hs-CRP. Those are all standard facts.
Well, at the recent American Urological Society scientific meeting, two groups, the workers from Mayo Clinic and the workers from Duke University presented their findings that those taking statins for cardiac protection, seem to have a lower incidence of prostatic cancer, and also prostatic inflammation. Patients taking statins also seem to have better erectile function. These finding are interesting, Does statins prevent Ca Prostate? Because some of us ( myself included ) think that too low an LDL-cholesterol may actually promote cancers. After all, we do need cholesterol for our cell wall function, and not to say, we need cholesterol for our sex hormone. It is interesting to postulate that statins in lowering cholesterol, will lessen testosterone and so lessens the risk of Ca Prostate. Interesting thought.
Be that as it may, the latest findings by Duke and Mayo may give us another good reason to start our patients on statins.
Statins indeed have pleotrophic effects.