Cholestreol-lowering statin drugs can also reduce the risk of death by pneumonia in hospitalized patients, according to a study published this week in the journal Respiratory Research.
Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that pneumonia patients taking a cholesterol lowering statin such as Lipitor or Zocor when they entered the hospital were 2.8 times less likely to die from pneumonia than patients not taking the medications.
Statins are known to affect the immune system and that could explain their effect on pneumonia patients, the researchers speculated.
Pneumonia is the leading cause of death from infection in the United States, killing up to 40,000 people every year.