UC Davis researchers find added benefit of statins in those at high risk for heart disease...( es are important factors as well he s...),Health

Jialal's team also made important discoveries about the way statins work at the molecular level. Compared to the placebo group, monocytes from patients exposed to statin produced less interleukin-6 and TNF, two critical molecules in insulin resistance and the development of cardiovascular disease. In addition, the researchers made the novel observation that in patients with metabolic syndrome, statin therapy interfered with cell signaling and transcription by inhibiting the "master switch" in the inflammatory process, a protein called NFkb.

"We also showed for the first time an increased production of a key enzyme, PI 3-kinase, related to insulin activity and vascular health," said Sridevi Devaraj, associate professor of pathology and lead author of the study.

Jialal and his colleagues will next look at the fat cells of patients with metabolic syndrome for more clues as to how statins work and what goes wrong in patients with the disorder. "We also need long-term studies that look at the effects of statins on insulin resistance and diabetes prevention," he said. "We have much more work to do."