Anti-Cholesterol Drugs May Reduce The Risk Of Covid-19 Deaths

The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) coronavirus, which has caused global morbidity and death. Despite advances in research techniques and treatment regimens and the recent introduction of vaccinations, COVID-19 incident cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities continue to be expected. Understanding the variables that reduce the severity of COVID-19 is still essential.

Anti-Cholesterol Drugs May Reduce The Risk Of Covid Deaths

However, most of this research has been small, with single-center or regional studies, and the findings have been mixed. Furthermore, both sicker people with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension and healthier people for prevention utilize statins. CVD patients using statins had a 41% reduced risk of in-hospital mortality owing to Covid-19.

According to the researchers, patients who have a definite cause to take statins, such as a history of cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, gain the most from statins’ capacity to suppress the virus. Statins are cholesterol-lowering medicines that work by inhibiting the enzymes in the liver that produce cholesterol.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 93.1% of patients who take a cholesterol-lowering medication also take a statin. The ACE2 receptor, which is a statin target, aids in blood pressure management. The SARS-CoV-2 virus mainly utilizes the same receptor to penetrate lung cells, according to research published in 2020.

Why Do Statins Help COVID Patients So Much?

ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS, the ACE2 receptor, which is the primary target of statin medicines, is thought to have a substantial role in this effect. Last year, scientists found that when the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects human lung cells, it also targets this receptor. According to the current research, statins and other antihypertensive medications assist individuals with underlying illnesses stabilize. According to experts, this makes it more probable that individuals will recover from COVID-19 amid the present crisis.

Control High Cholesterol Levels

Covid-19 found that patients using statin medicines had a 41% reduced chance of dying in the hospital. Statins are used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzymes in the liver that generate these waxy lipids.

Inhibit SARS-Cov-2 Infection

Statins, the researcher reasoned, could suppress SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their anti-inflammatory and binding properties, possibly halting the virus’s development. The results were tested on 10,541 Covid patients over nine months, from January to September 2020.

According to the results, patients taking statins for medical reasons who have a history of cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure benefited the most from this unexpected Covid defense. According to the present research, the use of statins or other antihypertensive medicines has reduced the risk of mortality from Covid by 32% among patients with heart disease or hypertension.

Why Did Statins Help Covid Patients So Much?

The ACE2 receptor, the primary target of statin medicines, is thought to have a critical role in this effect. According to research published last year, when the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects human lung cells, it seems to target this specific receptor. According to the current study, statins and other antihypertensive medications assist individuals with underlying illnesses stabilize. This finding increases the likelihood that individuals will recover from Covid-19 amid the present crisis.

We cannot say with certainty that the associations we describe between statin use and reduced severity of COVID-19 infection are due to the statins themselves; however, we can now say with confidence that they may play a role in significantly lowering a patient’s risk of death from COVID-19.

Patients who took statins before being admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 had a much-reduced risk of mortality, especially those with a history of CVD and hypertension. If these medications are warranted based on underlying medical problems, our findings suggest the continuing and aggressive start of statin and antihypertensive therapy among individuals at risk for COVID-19.