Researchers presented a study at the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology’s 2012 Heart Failure Congress in Belgrade, Serbia, which revealed that statins are linked to preventing cancer and reduce all-cause mortality risk in heart transplant recipients independent of cholesterol levels.

Statins are a class of immunomodulatory drugs used to lower cholesterol levels. Researchers examined the impact of statin therapy on the occurrence of cancer and all-cause mortality in heart transplant recipients, given that cancer is the leading cause of death after heart transplantation. Although skin cancer is relatively common, other cancers include colorectal, prostate cancer and lymphoma. It is believed that the elevated rate of cancer in heart transplant recipients may be linked to patients’ suppressed immune responses.

The study involved a total of 255 patients who had a heart transplant at Zurich’s University Hospital in Switzerland between 1985 and 2007 and who survived beyond the first year. The primary endpoint was defined as the occurrence of any cancer, with the secondary endpoint being overall survival.

108 patients (42%) were diagnosed with cancer during follow up. According to the results, statins reduced the risk of all cancers by 65% (p=0.0001). The researchers observed that the cumulative incidence of tumors in patients who did not receive statins 8 years after transplantation was 34%, compared with 13% in those who did receive statin (p=0.003), whilst the percentage was 39% in the non-statin group, compared with 18% in the statin group at the 10-year follow up and 42%, compared with 22% at the 12-year follow up respectively.

According to guidelines from the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), patients are recommended to receive statins after heart transplantation to reduce graft atherosclerosis. Statins were linked to improve cancer free and overall survival in heart transplant patients (both p=0.0001) regardless of their cholesterol levels, indicating that statins benefits’ are due to their immunomodulatory effects.

Leading researcher, Dr Frank Enseleit, deputy director of heart failure and transplantation at Zurich’s University Hospital states that patients can safely start statin therapy six months following their transplant as a life-long therapy, declaring:

“We have shown that statin therapy prevents cancer in heart transplant recipients and it is known that statins also prevent graft atherosclerosis. We have to conclude that it should be a lifelong therapy in heart transplant recipients.”

Written By Petra Rattue