Inexpensive statins new hope to MS sufferers

Inexpensive statins new hope to MS sufferers

Thursday, March 20, 2014

An inexpensive cholesterol- lowering pill may offer new hope to patients with progressing multiple sclerosis (MS), research suggests.

By John von Radowitz

Patients in the MS trial were randomly assigned to treatment with either an 80mg dose of the drug or a dummy placebo pill.

All 140 participants had secondary progressive MS, a form of the disease marked by worsening symptoms and increased disability.

Over a period of two years, patients treated with simvastatin suffered 43% less brain shrinkage than those given the placebo.

The patients also achieved significantly better scores in movement tests and questionnaire-based disability assessments.

Previous research has linked increased brain wasting due to MS with greater disability.

Study co-author Dr Richard Nicholas, from Imperial College London, said: At the moment, we dont have anything that can stop patients from becoming more disabled once MS reaches the progressive phase.

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Inexpensive statins new hope to MS sufferers