If you had the ability to take a Statin medication such as Lipitor to help slow your MS progression would you? I have slightly high cholesterol and if there is a drug that can help that issue AND slow the progression of my MS why wouldn't I do it?
i plan to find out tomorrow if i can. The article below is almost 1 year old but raises some interesting questions. I'll you know what my doctor says.
======================================
From Drugwatch.com
Lipitor and other Cholesterol Drugs May Help Treat Multiple Sclerosis
April 16, 2010, 02:04 pm
Popular medications used to treat high cholesterol such as Lipitor may slow the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.
Over the course of a year, researchers studied 81 patients with early-stage MS, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that can inhibit the ability to walk and engage in other everyday activities. Patients in the study were chosen at random to receive either 80 mg of Lipitor (atorvastatin) a day or a placebo.
At the conclusion of the study, over more than half of the patients receiving Lipitor experienced no new MS brain lesions, whereas less than 30 percent of patients receiving placebo experienced the same.
Lipitor is a widely used medication that belongs to a group of drugs known as statins. The medication is used to treat patients with high cholesterol by inhibiting the production of cholesterol in the liver and reducing cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.
The new study, however, carries implications for the future potential of statin medications such as Lipitor in the treatment of MS.
MS usually develops between the ages of 20 and 40. An estimated 2.5 million individuals are living with MS worldwide, and the disease is currently the most commonly diagnosed neurological disorder among young adults.
While medications such as Ampyra can help alleviate the symptoms of MS, there is currently no cure for the disease. Experts in the field have called for larger follow up studies addressing the potential benefits of statin medications for MS patients.
Additional information about drugs and drug side effects may be found on DrugWatch.com.
Also....
Science Daily Article
Web MD Article
4 comments:
I started taking simvastatin last August so researched the topic. I found conflicting info and wrote a post about it for Healthcentral. Sorry I don't have the link right now. But the drug brought my cholesterol down nicely.
i heard about this a long time ago, & wondered if it would help...i really hope it at least helps! i'm going to start on the first pill for ms next month...no more shots!! btw, lanette, did you start tysabri yet? & how do you feel?
Hmmm..Does this explain the more cardiovascular approach to explain MS and altered circulation argument for MS?? I believe in the immune system argument but is it a combination?
Thank you, CR,
I never heard of this. At first I thought is said "Satins and MS," but I guess that topic is still wide open....
Post a Comment