Statins Could Be New Wonder Drugs

Feb. 1 -- Statins just might be the latest wonder drugs — though they're nothing new to doctors and pharmacists. ABCNEWS' Dr. Tim Johnson takes a look in Good Morning America's House Calls.

For years they have been around as part of a class of drugs that interfere with the production of bad cholesterol in the liver and help the liver get rid of the cholesterol. But new studies are showing that statins can wear many other hats.

They can help those with coronary artery disease by fighting arterial inflammation and stabilizing plaque. And in the past several years, the statins have been shown to help other diseases.

From Alzheimer's to OsteoporosisDr. Tim Johnson told Good Morning America that in recent years these drugs have shown they might help prevent or reduce the risk for strokes, diabetes and other diseases. "We have studies that suggest they strengthen bone and may reduce the risk for osteoporosis."

"And probably most amazing of all, there are studies that show that they may significantly reduce the risk for Alzheimer's. All of these things have yet to be fully proven, but there are a lot of studies hinting in this," said Johnson.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last week showed that early treatments with statins following heart attack reduces the risk of a recurrence one year later. Another study released last week from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina found that people taking pravastatin who have already had a heart attack or severe chest pain experienced a 22 percent reduction in risk of having a stroke.

Another recent study showed that statin drug pravastatin reduces risk of diabetes and stroke. A different study showed that statins may strengthen bones and help reduce the risk of osteoporosis. JAMA featured two observational clinical studies in which statins reduced the risk of hip and bone fractures in elderly patients.

And yet another study showed that statins may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by 70 percent when used as a preventative. Researchers don't know exactly how the drugs work in Alzheimer's, but one possibility is that the blockages in brain arteries may lead to Alzheimer's, Johnson said.