Cancer patients taking statins are less likely to have a stroke

Cancer patients taking cholesterol-lowering statins after chest, neck or head radiotherapy were at significantly reduced risk of stroke or other cardiovascular complications, new research suggests. Journal of the American Heart Association, free access Journal of the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association.

This is the first major study to examine whether statins reduce cardiovascular complications in patients treated with radiotherapy for cancer of the chest, head, or neck.

More than half of cancer patients are treated with radiation therapy, which uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and reduce the size of tumors. As radiation therapy became more accurate and long-term survival rates improved, radiation may affect neighboring healthy cells and cause side effects several years later.

The side effects of radiation therapy include scarring or thickening of the arteries and, over time, blockages that can lead to heart attack and stroke. In fact, the authors point out that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of illness and death among cancer survivors.

The recently published study examined whether statin drugs, which reduce the formation of plaque blocking blood vessels, could reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease after chest, neck or head radiotherapy. The researchers found that the use of statins was associated with a 32% reduction in strokes.

There was also a strong tendency to reduce all cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, and deaths from these cardiovascular events, although the authors indicated that the 15% reduction found was not statistically significant because of the high-risk population of patients in the study.

"Statins reduce cholesterol levels and have anti-inflammatory properties.Many studies have revealed the beneficial effects of their statin therapy on reducing the risk of vascular disease in various populations," said the author of the study. Study, Negar Mousavi, MD, MSC. University Health Center in Montreal, Canada. "Statins protect patients with heart disease, previous stroke and high cholesterol levels."

For this study, researchers studied data from 5,718 patients over the age of 65 (mean age 75 years) who suffered a heart attack or stroke at the University Health Center. McGill in Montreal, Canada, who had undergone radiotherapy for cancer of the thorax, head or neck in 2000. until 2011. The majority – 4 166 patients – were taking statins. Most people participating in the study had underlying cardiovascular disease.

"Our study has shown that statin therapy can be supportive even with cancer risk and cancer-related mortality in radiotherapy patients," said Mousavi, adding, "No other agent is recommended with enough evidence to reduce the risk of vascular disease, events in cancer patients receiving radiation to the head, neck or chest. "

However, the authors emphasize the need for prospective studies to explore the role of statins after radiotherapy in larger populations and to establish definitive guidelines on the management of radiation-induced vascular disease.