New research suggests that Lipitor is not only successful at reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks, but also reduces the risk of acquiring a potentially fatal infectious disease.
The European Heart Journal published a study where researchers found that those taking the drug the longest had a large reduction in deaths from infectious disease. These include:
- parasitic diseases
- deaths from respiratory illnesses such as:
- pneumonia
- chronic obstructive airways disease
- acute respiratory diseases.
Other studies have shown statins improve vascular function and reduce mortality from sepsis and community-acquired pneumonia.
“The long-term benefit unexpectedly is not protection against heart disease and stroke, but against other illnesses that appear to be linked to infection,” author Peter S. Sever, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of therapeutics at Imperial College London, told The New York Times.
