Statins Shown To Prevent Lung Cancer

The large population study, conducted by researchers from Louisiana State University and the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, consisted of data collected over a 6-year period from the VA Health Care System. The case population consisted of 483,733 patients—some with lung cancer and others without (control group).

Of the total population, 7,280 had lung cancer and 163,662 were receiving statins. The duration of statin use was defined as the time of usage prior to lung cancer diagnosis or time of usage until the data collection was completed.

Researchers found that statin use of 6 or more months was associated with a lung cancer risk reduction of 55%. Statin use of more than 6 months showed a decreased risk of lung cancer across all age groups, and despite race, smoking status, or body mass index (BMI).

This study appears in the May issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.