- Statins are a widely used medication for lowering cholesterol. Recent research from US San Diego (University of California at San Diego) School of Medicine associated statins with reduced risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease, as well as faster recovery times.
- In short, statins remove cholesterol from cell membranes, which in turn prevents the coronavirus from getting in.
- We know that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, enters the human cell by using a protein known as ACE2 on the cell surface.
- ACE2 can be affected by prescription statins.
- Statin use was associated with a more than 50 per cent lower risk of developing severe Covid-19.
- Patients taking statins also recovered faster than those not taking statins.
