Analyzing anonymized patient medical records, researchers discovered that cholesterol-lowering statins reduced risk of severe COVID-19 infection, while lab experiments uncovered a cellular mechanism that helps explain why.

UC San Diego Health researchers recently reported that statins — widely used cholesterol-lowering medications — are associated with reduced risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease, as well as faster recovery times. A second research team at UC San Diego School of Medicine has uncovered evidence that helps explains why: In short, removing cholesterol from cell membranes prevents the coronavirus from getting in.

The clinical study, published September 15, 2020 in American Journal of Cardiology, was led by Lori Daniels, MD, professor and director of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at UC San Diego Health, and Karen Messer, PhD, professor and chief of the Division of Biostatics and Bioinformatics in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health.

The mechanistic study, published September 18, 2020 in The EMBO Journal, was led by Tariq Rana, PhD, professor and chief of the Division of Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center.

Patients with COVID-19 who took statins fared better

A molecule known as ACE2 sits like a doorknob on the outer surfaces of many human cells, where it helps regulate and lower blood pressure. ACE2 can be affected by prescription statins and other medications used for cardiovascular disease.

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Materials provided by University of California — San Diego. Original written by Heather Buschman, PhD and Jeanna Vazquez. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.