The researchers said statins could affect hormone regulation in the body, especially as the study found women on the drugs were significantly more likely to suffer cancers driven by the hormone oestrogen
Alarming findings raise new concerns over the long-term safety of a widely prescribed medicine in the UK.
Previous studies have suggested the cholesterol-lowering drugs, used by an estimated eight million men and women, can reduce the risk of certain cancers - including the breast form of the disease.
However, most research looked at patients who had only been on them for five years or less.
The latest findings identified invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) which starts in the ducts of the breast before spreading inwards. It accounts for around seven out of ten breast cancer cases.
The experts at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, US, also found the chances of getting invasive lobular carcinoma, which accounts for ten to 15 per cent of breast cancers, went up almost 2.5 times in some women on statins long-term.
Around 48,000 women in Britain are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, equal to around 130 a day. A woman has a one in nine chance of developing the disease at some point in her life.
The reasons why the anti-cholesterol pills might stimulate cancer growth are unclear.
The researchers said one explanation may be that
statins affect hormone regulation in the body, especially as the study found women on the drugs were significantly more likely to suffer cancers driven by the hormone oestrogen.
Comment: The target of statin therapy - cholesterol - just happens to be vital to all membranes for their proper functioning and structure. We are making highly unstable and dysfunctional cell membranes with statin drugs and our restriction of animal fats, which then has a toll on our cell membrane's function. The past decade of research has exposed the importance of cholesterol rich membranes with fundamental implications for our brains, hormones and immune system.
Statins many potential side effects range from depression, confusion, memory problems, inability to concentrate, liver damage, increased risk of cancer, fatigue, impotence, kidney failure, rhabdomyolisis (destruction of muscle cells), shortness of breath, it hinders our bodies ability to fight microbes and so forth. Cholesterol levels that are below 150 mg/dL increase your risk for cancer, hormonal imbalances, depression, sexual dysfunction, memory loss, Parkinson's disease, stroke, suicide, and violent behavior.
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