原文

“Statins are widely prescribed to older adults to reduce cholesterol levels, but are known to have a suppressive effect on the immune system. Older adults are more likely to develop severe disease with life-threatening complications if infected with influenza, and so annual influenza vaccination is recommended for everyone over the age of 65. Two new studies published this week looked at the immune response to influenza vaccination and the ability of the vaccine to prevent influenza disease in older adults who were taking statins, and found that both the immune response and the ability of the vaccine to prevent disease were reduced in those taking statins. We already know that the influenza vaccine is only moderately effective in older adults, so the new findings that taking statins may reduce vaccine effectiveness requires further investigation.

“The results are not simple to interpret as the people included in the study who were taking statins may have been in poorer general health than those who were not, which may partly explain the findings. However there is now sufficient evidence from these two large studies to prompt further investigation, and the consideration of routine use of improved influenza vaccines in older adults, especially those taking statins.

“There had been earlier studies which did not find that statins reduced the immune response to vaccination. However these small studies were carried out on younger people, who only took statins for a short period. This highlights the need to conduct clinical trials in older adults in order to provide that age group with the most effective vaccines.”

原文

“These two studies suggest that some types of statins may reduce the effectiveness of standard influenza vaccination. However, as the researchers point out, their findings are far from conclusive and merely point to a possible issue that needs further research.

“No one who is planning to have a flu vaccination this winter should stop taking their statin on the basis of these studies. Indeed patients with heart disease are at greater risk of a heart attack if they catch flu and therefore need the protection of their statin. It is important that patients with heart disease should be vaccinated against flu and continue to take all of their medication.”