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Statins Lawyer

Motley Rice is reviewing potential cases in which individuals have been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease following the use of statins, drugs commonly used to lower cholesterol. Drugs in the statin family include Zocor (simvastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin) and Lipitor (atorvastatin).

Also known as parenchymal lung disease, interstitial lung disease is an inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the air sacs of the lungs. It includes conditions such as interstitial fibrosis, or progressive scarring of lung tissue. This condition, over time, restricts an individual’s ability to breathe and get enough oxygen into the bloodstream. Once lung scarring occurs, it generally is irreversible.

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Contact a Statins Lawyer

If you or a loved one may have experienced statin-induced interstitial lung disease, please contact statins lawyer Carmen Scott by email or call +1.800.768.4026.

Symptoms

Symptoms of interstitial lung disease may include shortness of breath and a dry cough, both of which tend to lessen once users stop using the statin drug.  These potential symptoms may not develop quickly.  Researchers have found that statin users may develop symptoms months to years after initiation of statin therapy.

Statin Drugs and Interstitial Lung Disease

Statin drugs include the following:

  • Lescol (fluvastatin): Lescol is used to treat high blood cholesterol by blocking the production of cholesterol in the body . It is also prescribed for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and has been shown to exhibit antiviral activity against   Hepatitis C.
  • Lipitor (atorvastatin): Lipitor is the #1 prescribed branded cholesterol-lowering medicine in the world. Along with a low-fat diet and exercise, this drug is prescribed to lower bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) in the blood, decreasing the risk for heart attack or stroke. 
  • Pravachol (pravastatin):  Pravachol is a cholesterol-lowering drug that blocks the production of cholesterol. It is prescribed to treat high cholesterol and lower the risk of heart attack, stroke or other heart complications in people having coronary heart disease. 
  • Zocor (simvastatin): Zocor is a cholesterol-lowering drug meant to be taken as an addition to diet for patients with high cholesterol when diet and exercise are inadequate. It can reduce the risk of death by reducing the risk of heart attack, the risk for undergoing cardiac procedures and the risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack.
In 2008, CHEST journal, a medical publication for pulmonologists and other specialties, published its “Systematic Review of the Literature and of Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reports” related to statins and interstitial lung disease.  The authors examined available medical literature describing possible statin-induced interstitial lung disease as well as FDA MedWatch adverse event reports in which statin users suffering from interstitial lung disease suffered death or hospitalization without death.  They found that interstitial lung disease has been reported in association with most statins, suggesting a class effect rather than a problem associated with a specific statin.