Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs used to combat heart disease may also help people with rheumatoid arthritis, research suggests. Rheumatoid arthritis is linked to over-production of the synovial tissue which lines the joints. In lab tests, scientists found statins could induce the cells that produce this tissue to kill themselves. The study, led by Japan’s Jichi Medical School, features in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Statins have already been shown to induce cell death - or apoptosis - in both normal cells and tumour cells. The Japanese team found a particular type of statin, fluvastatin, could produce the same effect on synovial cells taken from people with rheumatoid arthritis. However, the drug had no effect on cells taken from people with another form of arthritis called oestoarthropathy.
