(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Statins may help reduce the risk of blood clots
in patients with heart disease, new research shows.
More than 2 million Americans develop venous thromboembolism (VTE) every
year, which includes blood clots (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE). Cancer
patients, people who have recently had surgery and patients who have
suffered acute trauma are more often victims of the disease. Now research
shows patients with hardening of the arteries, or artherosclerosis, who were
administered statins significantly reduced their risk of VTE.
Researchers from the Albert Einstein Medical Center looked at 593 patients
admitted to the hospital for myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke, and
found of them, 73 percent were receiving statins. Overall, 73 percent of
patients developed VTE. Patients who were given statins were three times
less likely to develop VTE than those who were not (8.3 percent versus 26.3
percent).
"Venous thromboembolism leads to significant morbidity, mortality and
hospital costs in Americans each year," Kalpalatha Guntupalli, M.D.,
President of the American College of Chest Physicians, was quoted as saying.
"Although more research is needed, statins may prove effective in helping to
reduce the incidence of VTE in specific patient populations."
Source: CHEST 2009, October 31-November 5, 2009, San Diego, CA
