Statins could halt vein blood clots, research suggests

In case you are diagnosed with VTE.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=171777&CultureCode=en
University of Leicester involved in study into cholesterol-lowering pill
Statins could hold the key to eradicating one of the most preventable causes of hospital deaths after researchers uncovered a new role for the cholesterol-lowering pill.
The medication, commonly used to prevent heart attacks, reduces the threat of a condition affecting millions globally called venous thromboembolism (VTE), where blood clots form in the vein in the lungs or in limbs, by between 15 and 25 per cent.
The conclusion was made following a thorough analysis of 36 studies involving more than 3.2 million people as part of new research published in The Lancet Haematology. It was supported by NIHR Collaboration for Leadership for Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East Midlands and the NIHR Leicester-Loughborough Diet, Lifestyle and Physical Activity Biomedical Research Unit.
The results of the summary compiled by researchers from Leicester Diabetes Centre and the University of Bristol provide an “extensive body of evidence on the clinical benefit of statin in the occurrence of VTE”.
The finding could potentially lead to new guidelines and an expansion of the use of treatment, which is already established in cardiovascular disease prevention.
Co-investigator Professor Kamlesh Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes & Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester, Director NIHR CLAHRC East Midlands and Co-Director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, said: “These findings underscore a potential beneficial role of statin therapy on VTE in addition to its established role in cardiovascular disease prevention.”
Lead researcher Dr Setor Kunutsor, from the University of Bristol’s Musculoskeletal Research Unit, added: “Currently, statins are only approved for lipid lowering in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
“But they have shown great promise beyond their established lipid-lowering effects and these include potential beneficial impact on multiple disease conditions.
“These results provide an extensive body of evidence on the clinical benefit of statin in the occurrence of VTE and may support a true protective effect.”
NIHR CLAHRC East Midlands is a collaboration of NHS, universities, patients and industry turning research into cost-saving and high-quality care through cutting-edge innovation.
The Leicester Diabetes Centre, based at Leicester General Hospital, is an international centre of excellence in diabetes research and education. It is a partnership between the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University of Leicester led by Professor Khunti and Professor Melanie Davies CBE.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhae/article/PIIS2352-3026(16)30184-3/fulltext

• Full bibliographic informationThe paper, Dr Setor K Kunutsor, PhD, Samuel Seidu, MSc, Prof Kamlesh Khunti, PhD, ‘Statins and primary prevention of venous thromboembolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, published in The Lancet, is available here: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhae/article/PIIS2352-3026(16)30184-3/fulltext

Study identifies common genetic variants that double risk for blood clots in african americans

Be careful out there. VTE -

Venous Thromboembolism(Deep Venous Thrombosis & Pulmonary Embolism)

http://www.mdlinx.com/internal-medicine/top-medical-news/article/2016/02/22/3

American Society of Hematology News

One in three African Americans have at least one variant that increases risk.
New research published online in Blood identifies common genetic variants predominantly found in African Americans that double their risk for blood clots. To understand the genetic risk factors for VTE specific to African Americans, a team of researchers led by Dr. Perera conducted a genome–wide association study in which they genotyped DNA samples from 578 African Americans, 146 of whom had a history of unprovoked VTE. Next, they confirmed the variants deemed highly prevalent in the first group by genotyping an additional group of 159 African Americans, including 94 with VTE. Based on their analysis, researchers identified a link between VTE and three variants in a chromosome associated with decreased expression of thrombomodulin, a protein that regulates clotting: rs2144940, rs2567617, and rs1998081. Investigators suggest that the presence of one of these three variants doubles the risk for VTE. Approximately 36 percent of African Americans have at least one of these variants. Surprisingly, these variants were found in much lower frequency in other ethnicities from previous studies. “This study not only brings us closer to understanding the cause of VTE in African Americans, it demonstrates the importance of conducting population–specific research in precision medicine,” said Dr. Perera. “Our next steps will involve investigating the predictiveness of these risk factors for VTE with the goal of reducing the high prevalence and burden of VTE in this disproportionately affected population.”