A Possible LDL Cholesterol and CLL connection

[markjeep51]

I have an appointment with my oncologist in a few weeks and plan to bring up the referenced article on a possible LDL and CLL connection. Am going to ask for a baseline LDL blood test and whether it might make sense for me to try a statin drug to better control my CLL. Been on w&w since my initial diagnosis in 2013 - currently having a WBC of a little over 16k. I have found several articles where it might make sense for people who have the slow moving CLL to possibly take a statin drug to lower one's LDL cholesterol, and as a consequence. possibly lowering ones CLL counts. Further research is clearly annotated in these articles. Does anyone have any further thoughts on this subject. I thought I would give a statin drug around a 6 month trial to determine if doing such has any possible clinical effect on my blood counts. Note that I probably should be taking a statin anyway to get my LDL done a bit, from a cardiovascular perspective.

See: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/279...

[WinJ3]

This is interesting and I never heard of that. I have been taking statins; Zocor 20mg (Simvastatin) for about twenty years and still have problems controlling my LDL. It definitely didn’t prevent me from needing treatment for my CLL.

Let me know what you learn from your doctor?

[sweatbee]

markjeep51,

I have been on a statin for a cardio issue for years. Recently I changed my statin to Atorvastatin because it might have a better action on lipid based cancers such as CLL/SLL than some other statins.

I think you are on the right track.

Metabolism pathways in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/266...

Sweatbee

[Psmithuk in reply to sweatbee]

I had to change FROM Atorvastatin, even though they said it was the best one. I have arthritis and I was in a lot of pain, yet when it was reduced by a half it got a bit better, and coming off it and changing to Simvastatin means I’m back to where I was before taking it.

[lexie in reply to Psmithuk]

How long were you on Atorvastatin before it became obvious that it was causing increased pain?

[Psmithuk in reply to lexie]

I think it was about six months, maybe. It got really bad, but I hadn’t realised it was the statin till the heart failure nurse decided I didn’t need such a high dose (80mg).

I’m now on 20mg of Simvastatin and the pain is back down to what it was before.

[otonal]

I really hope this is true as I was put onto Atorvastatin after a stroke bleed from a Cavernoma (venous brain malformation). There is Neurological research suggesting that statins reduce inflammation apart from lowering lipids. Would love to think I am killing 2 birds with one stone!

[t2aa]

Atorvastatin was working well to control my Cholesterol for a year or two. However I noticed a sharp rise in my numbers that coincided with a rise in CLL symptoms. So I do not think it did anything to manage my CLL.

[Teddo]

Have taken low dose atorvastatin for over 10 years. Has controlled my LDL very well. Dx'd with Cll 4 mos shy of 5 years ago. At dx, ALC was abt 5000. Has steadily increased to its current 42000. Still on w+w, Stage 1

[LovecuresCLL]

This connection is weak .....the epidemiological studies didn’t mention this connection of CLL and high LDL. Or did they forget to look for it?

[virdieblue]

My Doctor considered a statin for me but decided no. When I started Ibrutinib my ldl dropped and HDL improved. My primary read my results and said that these were the best readings I'd had since I started seeing him. So I think cause and effect needs to be examined...

Virginia