Leukaemia patients have 61 per cent lower death risk with statins
About 4,500 people a year are diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and just under 1,000 will die.
But research suggests that statins could be a cheap way to dramatically reduce death rates.
Statins primarily lower cholesterol levels but they also improve overall blood vessel function which can help the immune system and appear to have anti-inflammatory effects.
Researchers from the United Arab Emirates analysed the medical records of 1,467 patients with CLL or SLL who took part in four clinical trials between 2012 and 2019.
About one third of the trial participants were also, unrelatedly, taking a statin, and were found to have a significantly lower risk of death within five years.
'A strong link'
Patients who took a statin had, on average, a 61 per cent reduced risk of dying from their cancer, a 38 per cent reduced risk of death from any cause, as well as a 26 per cent reduced risk of disease progression.
'This is the first systematic evaluation of the association of statin use with survival outcomes in patients with CLL or SLL who have been treated with contemporary targeted agents such as ibrutinib,' said Dr Ahmad Abuhelwa, assistant professor of pharmacy practice and pharmacotherapeutics at the University of Sharjah in the UAE.
'Our results highlight a strong link between statin use and improved survival in this patient population.'
CLL is a slow-growing cancer that starts in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow and is one of the most common forms of leukaemia.
SLL, also a slow-growing cancer, affects the same type of cells as CLL but starts in lymphoid tissues such as the spleen instead of in the blood-forming cells.
Around 12 per cent of patients would be expected to die within five years of diagnosis with either condition, which suggests that statins could help that fall to around 5 per cent.
It is unknown why statins may aid survival, although several studies have shown that drugs which improve overall health can help to keep other major diseases at bay.
The research also found taking statins on top of cancer medication did not cause any severe or life-threatening side effects, suggesting they could be a safe addition to treatment.
'These findings don't allow us to say for certain that statins directly improve cancer outcomes,' added Dr Abuhelwa.
'However, the fact that this association remained strong even after accounting for multiple factors makes it an important area for future research.'
It is estimated there are already around seven to eight million adults in Britain taking statins, making them one of the most prescribed medications.
The team has now called for clinical trials in which patients with CLL or SLL are randomly assigned to take a statin or not.
The research was published in the journal Blood Advances.
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