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Statins can significantly reduce the risk of a potentially fatal blood clot, research suggests.

In a study of 17,802 people, the drug Crestor (rosuvastatin), already used by millions of people to combat high cholesterol, cut the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) by 43 per cent.

Pulmonary embolism, a common form of VTE that occurs when part of a clot breaks off and lodges in the lungs, is the single most preventable cause of death in hospital patients.

Lead researcher Dr Paul Ridker, from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: "In addition to reducing risks of heart attack and stroke, we now have hard evidence that aggressive statin therapy reduces life-threatening blood clots in the veins."

He added that in contrast to other drugs such as warfarin and heparin, there was no risk of excessive bleeding to the patient.

Full results of the study appear in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Cholesterol / Obesity.