Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with mortality rates ranging from 30-40 per cent. Reportedly, sepsis is a leading cause of death worldwide, affecting one in five deaths.
Offering some respite, a recent study has found that statins, drugs that are used to help 'bad' cholesterol, could lower the death rate by nearly 40 per cent for critically ill patients with sepsis.
Statins are mainly used against cardiovascular disease and are also widely used for treating inflammatory disorders. By lowering the total cholesterol, statin drugs help reduce the risk of heart attack.
Sepsis is a life-threatening stage that occurs when the body's response to an infection damages its own tissues and organs.
It happens when the immune system overreacts to an infection, causing a chain reaction that can lead to shock, organ failure, and even death if not treated promptly.
The study findings published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology highlight that supplementary treatment of hospitalised patients having sepsis with statins could boost their chances of survival.
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Dr Caifeng Li, an associate professor at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in China said, "Our large, matched cohort study found that treatment with statins was associated with a 39 per cent lower death rate for critically ill patients with sepsis when measured over 28 days after hospital admission."
The patients diagnosed with sepsis and hospitalised for longer than 24 hours were involved in the study.
Results showed that the death rate over a 28-day period was 14.3 per cent in the statin group and 23.4 per cent in the no-statin group, indicating a reduction of 39 per cent.
The researchers also noted that statin use was associated with decreased ICU mortality and reduced in-hospital mortality.
