Scientists from Jilin University in China have discovered that some drugs used to lower cholesterol in the body can reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Discovery of a link between cholesterol medications and colon cancer
According to the journal Frontiers in Immunology, the study conducted by scientists showed that statins—commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs—may be associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
During the study, scientists analyzed data from approximately 640,000 patients, collected from seven previous studies, and compared the incidence of colorectal cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease who take statins and those who do not. They found that taking these drugs was associated with a nearly 23% reduction in the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
A new discovery opens up possibilities for early treatments of gastrointestinal tumors.
Scientists noted that the link between statins and colorectal cancers was mainly apparent in patients who had taken these drugs for more than five years, suggesting the possibility of these drugs accumulating and having anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects.
The researchers noted that their findings could support the idea of using statins in the future as a chemopreventive agent in groups at increased risk of colorectal cancer.
