Unexpected Flu Death ProtectionYou may not have expected it, but researchers have discovered a flu protection characteristic in a medication commonly used for treating high blood cholesterol. A drug called statin is an effective inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, which is a producer of cholesterol in the liver. In addition to lower cholesterol levels, statin users may get another benefit from the drug: a lower likelihood of dying if hospitalized with influenza, researchers found. How’s that for a positive side effect! The flu used to be the cause of major pandemics and was associated with lots of deaths. However, with the evolution of modern medications, we don’t have to be fearful of this daunting health hazard. Now here is a reason to consider using cholesterol lowering drug-protection against flu-related deaths. According to research published on MedPage Today, out of those individuals who were admitted to a hospital’s care because they have contracted serious cases of the flu, patients who were using statins survived the flu at a higher rate. They ran a risk of death at a 3.9% rate. Those who were not taking statin drugs had a higher chance of dying within 30 days, a death risk of 5.5%, reported the Oregon Public Health Division. While this claim is not the first of its kind, the testing and evidence is limited to a small demographic. Most statin users are older white males. To promote the drug’s positive effect on a wide range of users, or declared as an influenza treatment, more research will have to be done on a wider variety of patients over time. However, the results of this correlation are still encouraging. As in any case, I encourage individuals to use the science of healthy living to prevent damaging and deadly disease. Drink water and eat veggies, but if you are a candidate for statin medication, speak with your doctor about the other ways it can benefit your health. Reference: http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/URItheFlu/30214
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