We have heard a lot of buzz over the last two years about the potential for statins, or common cholesterol-lowering drugs like Simvastatin, Zocor, etc. to have a beneficial effect on multiple sclerosis. The link between lowering cholesterol and reducing MS lesions and progressions is unclear, however.
This new study links three major inflammatory diseases to one gene variant: cardiovascular disease, rheumatism, and multiple sclerosis.
Researchers discovered that people with the gene variant ran a 20-40% greater risk of developing rheumatism, MS or a myocardial infarction. The gene variant is common, however, with 20-25% of the population carrying it. The gene variant leads to a reduction in the production of immune defense proteins.
So how does this affect statins? Statins actually reduce activity in this gene! Interesting, no doubt.
"This gene variant can therefore be one of the single largest genetic causes of complex diseases with inflammatory components," says Fredrik Piehl, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet and researcher at the CMM."
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