Researchers in Italy have found that statins--the class of cholesterol-lowering medications which includes
Lipitor and Crestor--may have a therapeutic
benefit against thyroid cancer. Statins, which inhibit the enzyme
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase (her friends call her HMG Co-A reductase), exhibit anticancer
effects in animal models and also inhibit the proliferation of thyroid
cancer cells in vitro (that's in the test tube, you knucklehead).
Statins have not only been heralded for their potential benefits as cholesterol-lowering agents in the battle against coronary artery disease, but they have also been shown to exert an anti-inflammatory effect on arteries, much like aspirin does. More, this class of meds has more recently been implicated as being beneficial in staving off Alzheimer's-type dementia.
So, are statins the next Wonder Drug? As College Game Day's Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend." How many
times have we heard of The Next New Great Drug only to find it going the way of Vioxx a few years
later? Consider the supposedly-cholesterol-reducing-drug Zetia. Although not in the statin family, recall last December when it was revealed that not only did the makers of Zetia reportedly withhold information about the drug's potential liver toxicity, but the coup de grace came a month later when a large study showed that Zetia failed to show any medical benefit.
It is another story of What's Good for You Today May Not Be Good For You Tomorrow. Sometimes new science replaces previous studies. Sometimes studies are not as they initially appear from misinterpretation or from subterfuge. And sometimes, therefore, even your family physician doesn't always know what is best for you.