MedCo study shows statin asthma benefit

The USA's Medco Health Solutions has presented the results of a new study showing a 33% reduction in emergency room visits and  hospitalizations for asthma patients taking cholesterol-lowering  statins, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Asthma,  Allergy & Immunology held in Washington DC.

The study included 6,574 adult patients who were prescribed inhaled  corticosteroid therapy for asthma in 2006 and had one or more  asthma-related hospitalizations or ER visits in the previous 12 months.  The study followed these patients over a one-year period and compared  those using a statin in conjunction with their asthma therapy to those  who were not taking one.

The findings suggest that statins have a substantial positive impact on  controlling asthma. While the incidence of a recurrent hospitalization  or ER visit was 29% for patients on a corticosteroid but not on a  statin, it dropped to 21% for those taking both a corticosteroid and a  statin, nearly a one-third reduction in risk.