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NEW DELHI — Daily use of statins, or cholesterol-lowering drugs, may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, and strokes in people with HIV by 35 per cent, according to a study.
People living with HIV can have a 50-100 per cent increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that daily statin use could prevent one in five major cardiovascular events or premature deaths in this population.
"This research suggests that statins may provide an accessible, cost-effective measure to improve cardiovascular health and quality of life for people living with HIV," said Gary H. Gibbons, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the US National Institute of Health.
The study involved 7,769 adults aged 40-75, who were randomised to receive either pitavastatin or a placebo. Participants who took pitavastatin experienced 35 per cent fewer major cardiovascular events and a 21 per cent reduction in deaths compared to the placebo group.
Additionally, those taking the statin saw a 30 per cent decrease in Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or bad cholesterol levels.
Steven K. Grinspoon, a professor of medicine at Harvard University, noted that while lowering LDL cholesterol reduces risks for heart attacks and strokes, the findings suggest additional benefits of statin therapy for people living with HIV.
The study highlights the need to address comorbidities like cardiovascular disease in successful HIV management, a disease that plagues more than 38 million people worldwide, with a new 1.5 million diagnosed in 2021, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO).