Covid breakthrough as ‘wonder’ statins cut risk of death

Covid breakthrough as ‘wonder’ statins cut the risk of death- and millions of Brits could benefit.

Millions of Britons could benefit from Covid’s breakthrough after ‘miracle’ statins were found to reduce the chance of mortality. Statins, a class of miracle medications, have emerged as a surprising tool in the fight against COVID-19.

According to scientists, their “extra” protection may reduce the chance of death for millions of people. A recent large study indicated that those over 45 who were already taking cholesterol-lowering drugs before the pandemic were less likely to die from the virus than those who weren’t.

People who take statins should rest certain that they do not increase health risks and may even have a preventive impact, according to the researchers.

Around eight million people in the UK use the medicine daily, which has been dubbed a “wonder worker” because of its remarkable reduction in heart attacks and strokes while having few adverse effects.

Statins operate by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. During the pandemic, scientists and doctors have been debating whether the medications affect the chance of dying from coronavirus.

The study of statins and Covid in Sweden is the largest population study carried out of its sort to date. Between March and November last year, (2020), it collected data from over 963,000 over-45s in Stockholm, checking prescription records and Covid fatalities.

“We compared individuals who were on statin medication during the year before the pandemic breakout in Stockholm with persons who weren’t.

“We looked at the mortality rate after adjusting for a variety of other factors.” “Those who used statins had a somewhat lower risk of dying from Covid-19 than those who did not.” In the study, just under one-fifth of the participants were taking statins. After accounting for characteristics such as pre-existing health issues, they were found to be about 12% less likely to die from the infection. The pattern was consistent across age groups and genders,” said Rita Bergqvist, a medical student at Karolinska Institutet University and co-lead author of the study.

“We also know that statins are a significant strategy in the prevention of cardiovascular events. If you were infected with Covid-19, one notion that has been proposed is that preventing cardiovascular ill-health would be advantageous.

The study does not imply, however, that those who have never taken statins should be given them if they do,” she added.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.