Good news about DVT prevention

Statin drugs are used for cholesterol lowering and have been proven to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events like fatal heart attacks and strokes.  Statin drugs work by reducing the total cholesterol levels in the blood.  They work by blocking the key enzyme required for by the body to produce cholesterol.  An additional mechanism of action statins has is there ability to reduce inflammation through out the body.  This reduction in the body’s inflammation may even reduce the risk of some cancers.  A recent study suggests that statins may reduce the risk of prostate cancer and possibly even shrink some tumors. 

A recent study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown the potential effects of statin drugs on reducing the risk of developing blood clots in the veins.

As already discussed, blood clots in the veins are a major cause of disability and death.  These clots typically form in the large veins of the legs and in the pelvis.  A pulmonary embolism may result in death.  A PE results when a piece of the blood clots breaks away and travels up the veins and enters the lung.  These emboli become clogged in the lungs circulation causing shortness of breath, chest pain and may lead to complete cardiopulmonary collapse and death.  The results of this new large study (17,802 patients) has shown that statins may reduce the risk of blood clots by 50 % in patients who are already at a higher risk for clots and reduce the risk in patients with no risk factors by 40%.  Risk for PE was reduced by 23% and the overall reduction of risk for DVT was 55%. So it may be time to use statins prophylactically in patients who have an increased risk for blood clots, or patients with severe  venous disease and a history of previous blood clots.

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