Title: Study finds cholesterol-lowering drugs may impact lung function, while statins offer dementia protection
Subtitle: Extensive research reveals potential risks and unexpected benefits of LDL-C medications
Date: [Insert Date]
A recent study conducted by the University of South Australia has shed light on the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs, revealing a concerning issue with a new class of medications that could impair lung function in certain individuals. The pioneering study, which compared LDL-C drugs to a wide range of clinical and heart and brain MRI biomarkers, analyzed genetic data from 340,000 participants in the UK Biobank.
Published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, this study is one of the largest global investigations into the risks and benefits of LDL-C drugs. The majority of cases showed that cholesterol-lowering medications prescribed for high cholesterol effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and age-related diseases. However, the study highlighted potential complications associated with a particular type of medication known as PCSK9 inhibitors, which can impair lung function. The researchers emphasize the need for further studies to determine the long-term side effects of these drugs.
Additionally, the study found correlations between genetic variants associated with statins – the most commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication – and higher body mass index (BMI), increased body fat, and reduced testosterone levels. Despite these associations, an unexpected benefit of statin use was discovered. Some individuals exhibited an increase in the volume of the hippocampus, a region of the brain crucial for memory and emotion regulation. This finding suggests that statins may reduce the risk of dementia and depression.
Lead author Kitty Pham, a PhD student at UniSA, emphasizes the significance of delving deeper into understanding the potential long-term effects of different medications. These findings provide valuable insights into how individuals may respond to various drugs and the potential for future drug prescription or repurposing.
Pham explains, “Our study reveals associations with lung function and brain size, which may influence how these drugs are prescribed or repurposed in the future. These findings help us to understand how people may react to different drugs and assess the viability of new drug pathways.”
Compared to statins, which inhibit cholesterol production, PCSK9 drugs work by eliminating cholesterol within cells. As a relatively new class of drugs, less is known about the long-term safety of PCSK9 inhibitors.
Professor Elina Hypponen, Chief Investigator and Centre Director of the Australian Centre for Precision Health at UniSA, highlights the importance of genetic information in uncovering links between different types of LDL-C lowering drugs and various diseases and biomarkers. While conducting such analysis in a clinical trial or with a large sample size would be impractical, genetic analyses provide invaluable insights into drug safety profiling.
This groundbreaking study serves as a critical stepping stone in guiding future drug development and prescription practices. By understanding the potential risks and benefits associated with cholesterol-lowering medications, researchers and healthcare professionals can make informed decisions to optimize patient outcomes while minimizing potential side effects.
Reference:
“Genetically instrumented LDL-cholesterol lowering and multiple disease outcomes: A Mendelian randomization phenome-wide association study in the UK Biobank” by Kitty Pham, Anwar Mulugeta, Amanda Lumsden, and Elina Hypponen, 19 May 2023, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15793