Cholesterol-lowering drug causes skin infection

Just 22 years after one of the world’s most widely-prescribed drugs for lowering cholesterol was launched, researchers have this week discovered that it has a serious ‘double-whammy’ effect that causes widespread infection and inflammation. The statin drug, simvastatin, which is marketed as Zocor and by other names, blocks the body’s natural abilities to kill infections, and it also encourages the growth of other molecules that increase inflammation in the body. Scientists from the University of Siena in Italy, who made the discovery, said that infections on the skin and in the lungs were the most common that were caused by the statin. The drug was launched in the late 1980s, and quickly established annual sales of more than $3bn. Despite its widespread use, this is the first time it has been associated with these side effects. (Source: Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 2010, 87: 433-42).