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Published online 23 October 2006 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news061023-1
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Cholesterol drugs protect smokers' lungs
Statins used to lower cholesterol may also ease inflammation caused by smoke.
Cholesterol drugs called statins could protect smokers from some of the lung damage inflicted by their habit, a team of researchers report today.
Their study of smokers and former smokers showed that patients who took statins were 35% less likely to need hospitalization or a visit to the emergency room for lung-related illness than those not taking the drugs.
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