— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
A large, ground-breaking study that followed 71,824 patients
infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) from 2000 to 2008 found that
those who took medium to high doses of metformin and/or statins had
substantially lower rates of liver and other cancers.
The study, conducted by Taiwanese researchers and published in the February issue of the journal Medicine, examined the impact of:
- Statins: Drugs taken to reduce triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood
- And metformin: A drug used to treat patients in the early stages of type 2 diabetes.
There have been some studies that suggest statins
reduce liver cancer risk in hepatitis B patients, however this large
study that spanned eight years found a definite decrease in cancers in
patients who took these drugs, especially at higher doses.
While the exact mechanisms that protect against
cancer are not known, researchers suspect that statins and metformin
decrease inflammation caused by HBV infection by altering the
availability of lipids (fats) in the bloodstream.
"Changes in lipid metabolism can affect numerous
cancer cellular processes, including cancer cell growth, proliferation,
differentiation, and motility," the researchers wrote. As a result,
the drugs appeared to prevent or slow development of liver, colon,
breast, lung and pancreatic cancers.”
They reported: Hepatitis B patients taking only
statins had a 52% reduced risk of all types of cancers and a 28%
reduced risk of liver cancer, compared to HBV-infected patients who did
not take statins.
Patients taking only metformin had an 82%
reduction for all cancers and a 97% reduction for liver cancer. Higher
doses of metformin provided the most protection.
The "synergistic effect" of the combined use of
statin and metformin reduced colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and
other cancers in young hepatitis B patients between the ages of 20 and
49," they reported. The drug combination also reduced lung, stomach,
and cervical cancers in patients age 50 and older.
"The results of our study suggest that the
incidence of cancer in patients with HBV infection can be reduced by
utilizing preventive strategies," they wrote. "This is also the first
article that suggests a dose–response effect and synergistic effect of
statin and metformin use in reducing the incidence of all kinds of
cancers."
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25674734
http://www.hbvadvocate.org/news/HBJ12.3.htmLabels: lowering cancer risk, metformin, statins
