People with IBD are at especially high risk for developing colorectal cancer due to chronic intestinal inflammation.
The participants who took statins had fewer cases of colorectal cancer diagnoses and deaths than those not on statins.
Nevertheless, this and similar studies point towards the potential for statins as anti-cancer drugs.
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The researchers followed up with the patients after an average of 5.6 years.
Statin use was also shown to reduce the risk of dying from colorectal cancer.
Twenty statin users died of colorectal cancer compared to 37 in the group that did not take statins.
Importantly, the findings were mostly noted in patients with ulcerative colitis, not those with Crohns disease.
The researchers noted that the protective effects appeared to be driven by colon cancer rather than rectal cancer.
Statin users had a lower risk of developing left-sided colon cancer and early-stage colorectal cancer than non-statin users.
This latest study joins a slew of other research into the relationship between statins and colorectal cancer.
People also tended to be better protected from colorectal cancer the longer they were on statins.
There were also fewer deaths of any cause in the statin group than in the non-statin group.
Statins are most often used to protect against heart disease and death.
For that reason, Sun said hes not surprised that the statin-using group saw a decline in all-cause mortality.
Statins may also have some anti-inflammatory properties that make them especially beneficial for people with IBD.
Its also too soon to know whether statins could be prescribed as a preventive tool in people with IBD.
Larger international studies could give a better sense of associations, especially for people with Crohns disease.
If youre worried about your risk for colorectal cancer, talk to your provider about prevention options.
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