The Correlation of Cholesterol Lowering Statin Drugs and Worsening Asthma Control In Mild Persistent Asthmatics

Background: To show that pharmacological agent statins use, adversely alter the immunomodulatory activities that promote the worsening of the clinical course of allergic diseases such as asthma.

Methods: Two groups of 20 asthmatics patients each were compared from baseline values. Twenty patients with extrinsic asthma (group A) were prescribed statins for their lowering of their cholesterol necessity, and 20 patients (group B) were controls who did not receive statins.Group A and group B were designed to compare FEV1, exacerbation asthma rates, beta agonists use, nocturnal awakenings, and daytime symptoms from baseline values.

Results:

Statins treated asthmatic patients group A had significant worsening of FEV1 at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months, to almost no change in control asthmatic patients group B. Statins treatment patients group A were associated with more frequent use of rescue medication (albuterol inhaler), increased nocturnal awakenings, and increased daytime asthma symptoms, compared to group B. 

Conclusions:  Statin drugs may worsen asthma control in mild persistent asthmatics. Statins may cause possible immune alteration that promote allergic diseases such as asthma.