In a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine researchers have concluded that patients taking statins to reduce cholesterol also saw their risk of colorectal cancer drop dramatically. Taking cholesterol-lowering drugs led to a 47 percent drop in risk. More research, though, is necessary, say the researchers; and time is of the essence. As more and more people take statins for cholesterol it will become harder to find volunteers to take placebos instead of the drug.
A study in Israel last year demonstrated a 51 percent drop in the risk of colorectal cancer among people taking statins. In the general population, 4,814 people would need to take statins to prevent one case of colorectal cancer. But in high-risk groups that figure could be cut in half.
- read this article from the Los Angeles Times for more on the study