New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) Statins, typically used to lower blood pressure may also help lower the risk of death among patients suffering from deadly sepsis by 39 per cent, according to a study on Friday.

Sepsis occurs when the immune system overreacts to an infection, causing such a strong inflammatory response that vital organs begin to shut down. It is life-threatening, as in about 15 per cent of cases, sepsis worsens into septic shock, characterised by dangerously low blood pressure and reduced blood flow to tissues.

The risk of death from septic shock is even higher, between 30 per cent and 40 per cent.

The earlier patients with sepsis are treated, the better their prospects. Typically, they receive antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and vasopressors to raise blood pressure.

However, the large cohort study published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology has shown for the first time that supplementary treatment with statins could boost their chances of survival.

“Our large, matched cohort study found that treatment with statins was associated with a 39 per cent lower death rate for critically ill patients with sepsis when measured over 28 days after hospital admission,” said Dr Caifeng Li, Associate Professor at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in China.

Statins are best known for their protective effect against cardiovascular disease, which functions by lowering ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and raising ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

“Statins have anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidative, and antithrombotic properties. They may help mitigate excessive inflammatory response, restore endothelial function, and show potential antimicrobial activities,” said Li.

The researchers built a statistical model for the study and analysed 6,070 critical patients who received statins and another 6,070 who did not.

The results showed that the 28-day all-cause mortality rate was 14.3 per cent in the statin group and 23.4 per cent in the no-statin group, indicating a relative reduction of 39 per cent.

However, the duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) increased by an average of 3 hours and 26 hours, respectively, in the group receiving statins. This prolonged duration of MV and CRRT in the statin group may be attributed to a trade-off between 28-day all-cause mortality and the duration of MV or CRRT.

“These results strongly suggest that statins may provide a protective effect and improve clinical outcomes for patients with sepsis,” Li said.

–IANS

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