Common cholesterol drug may reduce COVID-19 severity, study finds
Fox News
Coronavirus patients taking statins prior to hospitalization substantially reduced their odds of in-hospital death and severe COVID-19, researchers found.
At the start of the pandemic, researchers speculated statins could act against COVID-19 through their "known anti-inflammatory effects and binding capabilities, which could potentially stop progression of the virus," Lori Daniels, MD, lead study author, professor and director of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at UC San Diego Health, wrote in a news release. Statins upregulate the ACE-2 receptor to convert angiotension and control blood pressure, however ACE-2 is also a doorway for the virus causing COVID-19. Medications for cholesterol and high blood pressure help stabilize underlying diseases, and likely boost patients' odds of recovering from COVID-19 disease, study authors said.More Related News