“Hyperlipidemia treatment ‘statins’ reduce the risk of asthma worsening”

Ajou University Hospital Professor Hae-sim Park, Jae-hyuk Jang, and Rae-woong Park team
There was no difference in the incidence of diabetes, confirming the safety of the treatment.

Research results have been published showing that statins, a treatment for hyperlipidemia, are effective in reducing the risk of asthma worsening. Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation, and various mechanisms are involved in its occurrence and progression. Recently, it has been known that not only obesity but also metabolic syndromes such as hyperlipidemia affect the symptom control and prognosis of asthma, and the long-term effects of statins on asthma were not known.

Ajou University Hospital’s team of professors Hae-sim Park and Jae-hyuk Jang of the Department of Allergy and Rae-woong Park (researcher Cheol-hyung Park) of the Department of Medical Information followed-up 545 asthma patients who continuously took statins to treat hyperlipidemia and 545 patients who did not for 10 years. The research team compared and analyzed asthma exacerbation, asthma-related hospitalization, risk of developing type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and changes in inflammatory indicators in the two patient groups.

As a result of the study, it was confirmed that the risk of asthma exacerbation was 29% lower and the risk of severe asthma exacerbation was 43% lower in the group of asthma patients who continued to take statins for hyperlipidemia compared to the group of patients who did not take them. In addition, although changes in eosinophils, the main cause of asthma, were not evident in the two patient groups, there were significant differences in representative inflammatory indicators such as C-reactive protein, immunoglobulin E, and low-density cholesterol.

Accordingly, the research team explained that although statins do not affect eosinophils, which are closely related to the inflammation that worsens asthma, they affect the worsening of asthma through other inflammation control mechanisms.

In addition, statins are known to cause type 2 diabetes, but in this study, there was no significant difference in the occurrence of diabetes in the two patient groups, confirming the safety of asthma treatment.

Professor Jang Jae-hyuk said, “We have proven the link between hyperlipidemia and asthma, which were considered separate diseases,” and added, “We further confirmed that statins, a treatment for hyperlipidemia, can be a treatment that helps prevent worsening in adult asthma patients. “he said.

/Reporter Gu Min-ju kumj@kyeongin.com