Statins may slow down ageing of arteries
Published: 02 October 2008
Drugs given to heart patients to lower cholesterol may also keep their blood vessels feeling younger, according to scientists from the University of Cambridge.
New research has revealed that statins can prevent the premature ageing of arteries in patients in the advanced stages of heart disease - suggesting a process in addition to cholesterol-lowering through which they prevent heart attacks.
Previous research from the British Heart Foundation group at the University of Cambridge found that patients with severe heart disease have arteries that are biologically up to 40 years older than their real age, owing to DNA damage.
Natural repairs
This new study has found that in human artery cells, statins increase levels of a protein called NBS-1, which can detect DNA damage and accelerate its repair.
Professor Peter Weissberg, British Heart Foundation Medical Director, welcomed the breakthrough, saying: "This research has shown statins may also enhance the blood vessels' natural repair mechanisms."
Read the article in Circulation Research (2008) 103, p. 717.