Are Non-Statin Cholesterol-Lowering Medications Linked to Liver Cancer? Study Sheds light
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Primary liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Major risk factors for liver cancer include chronic infections with hepatitis B or C viruses, exposure to aflatoxins, heavy alcohol use, tobacco use, and metabolic disorders like non- alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
Since liver cancer often has a poor prognosis, finding ways to prevent it, including using certain medications, is very important for public health. Recently, there has been a lot of research into how medications like aspirin, metformin, and statins might help reduce the risk of liver cancer.
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors, bile acid sequestrants, fibrates, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids are types of non-statin medications used to manage cholesterol and lipid levels. Each type works differently to help lower cholesterol.
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute studied these five types of non-statin cholesterol-lowering drugs to see if they were linked to liver cancer risk.
Previous research has suggested that statin cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce the risk of liver cancer. A new study, however, investigated non-statin cholesterol-lowering medications and found that one type was associated with a reduced risk of liver cancer. The findings have been published in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, by Wiley Online.
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