The drug taken by millions of the people worldwide to slash cholesterol levels can help to keep arthritis at bay. A new study has found that regular dose of statin decrease the chances of developing the crippling condition up to fifty percent.
The team of researcher from Israel examined 1.8m sufferers and found smaller amount of incidents of the joint condition among those who took cholesterol busting medicines. A burst through is significant as there is no cure for arthritis and existing treatments can cause heart attacks and strokes.
Sufferers those took the drugs regularly were forty-two percent less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who took them only infrequently. The connection apprehended accurate even when aspects like age and other health issues were taken into account reported the journal PLoS Medicine. It is more common in females than males.
Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the immune system assaults the joints, causing stiffness, pain and swelling. The research team from Maccabi Healthcare Services in Tel Aviv thinks that statin can counteract rheumatoid arthritis by tackling inflammation. If the additional studies backing the connection, then statin could one day used to fend off the condition in those vulnerable to it.
It becomes very hard to find out which patients are at greater risk. But in future if there is hereditary indicator for arthiritis, they would potentially be able to use statins as a preventative, said lead researcher Dr Gabriel Chodick. The side effects of statin may include liver, muscle problems, depression, loss of libido and disturbed sleeping patterns.
Their own published research and team of researchers in Japan has shown an unassuming but important effect of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and this newest section of research attached added evidence of this link. They need larger clinical trials to verify further that statins can reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, explained Jane Tadman from Arthritis Research UK.