A recent study that analyzed genetic data from 340,000 UK Biobank participants found that a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, PCSK9 inhibitors, can impair lung function. Although most cholesterol medications effectively reduce cardiovascular risk without significant side effects, the study also found a correlation between statins and higher body mass index, body fat, and decreased testosterone. They also noted an increase in brain volume in the hippocampus, which may unexpectedly lower the risk of dementia and depression.
Statins reduce the risk of dementia, but new drugs have negative effects on lung function.
One of the largest global studies of the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs has highlighted the problem of a new class of drugs that can impair lung function in some patients.
This is the finding of a recent University of South Australian study, the first of its kind in the world, to compare cholesterol-lowering drugs (LDL-C drugs) with a range of clinical and heart and brain MRI biomarkers.
Genetic data from 340,000 UK Biobank participants was analyzed to investigate the risks and benefits of LDL-C drugs. The result is British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
In a huge number of cases, drugs prescribed for high cholesterol levels can be effective. cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and age-related diseases. Other than the diarrhea that occurs in some people, it does not cause any other harmful health conditions.
But lipid-lowering drugs that remove cholesterol from cells (known as PCSK9 inhibitors) can impair lung function, and their long-term side effects require further study, researchers say. .
Genetic variations that reflect another cholesterol-lowering drug, statins, were found to correlate with increased BMI and body fat, and decreased testosterone. Statins are the most commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs.
One unexpected benefit of taking statins has been discovered, with some people seeing an increase in brain volume in the hippocampus, which may reduce the risk of dementia and depression.
UniSA PhD student Kitty Pham, lead author of the paper, said the findings highlight the importance of digging deeper to understand the potential long-term effects of different drugs. He said that
“Our study reveals a link between lung function and brain size, which could impact how these drugs are prescribed and repurposed in the future,” Pham said. he says. “These discoveries will help us understand how people respond to different drugs and assess the viability of new drug routes.”
Compared to statins, which inhibit cholesterol production, PCSK9 drugs destroy cholesterol within cells. Because the latter is a new class of drugs, less is known about its long-term safety.
Professor Elina Hypponen, center director and principal investigator at UniSA’s Australian Center for Precision Health, said genetic information worked in different ways to compare the effectiveness of different LDL-C lowering drugs. There is.
“Although this is typically not practical in clinical trials or sample sizes this large, genetic analyzes like the one we conducted can help improve drug safety by uncovering associations with diseases and biomarkers. “It’s very useful for profiling,” says Professor Hypponen.
Reference: “Genetically Measured LDL Cholesterol Lowering and Multiple Disease Outcomes: A Mendelian Randomized Event-wide Association Study in the UK Biobank” by Kitty Pham, Anwar Mulugeta, Amanda Lumsden, Elina Hypponen, May 19, 2023 Day, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15793
