A study completed during the influenza seasons of 2009-2011 investigated the relationship between long-term statin therapy and its influence on influenza vaccine efficacy (VE). The results of this post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional observational study, along with a clinical trial, indicated that statins caused a decreased antibody titer after vaccine administration. Over 6000 adults over the age of 65 that had been on statin therapy for at least 28 days before influenza vaccine administration were included in this randomized, controlled, observer-blind clinical trial. Blood samples taken on the day of vaccination and 22 days after vaccination compared the hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) titers. Results from this study were that irrespective of the type of influenza vaccine, the geometric mean titer (GMT) ratio was consistently higher in the control group. In the controls, the GMT ratio was 38% higher for A(H1N1), 68% higher for A(H3N2), and 38% higher for influenza B. The HAI titers were also less in statin therapy patients that were male and patients that were using synthetically derived statins. The decreased HAI titers suggest that there was a decreased serological response to the vaccine in
A study completed during the influenza seasons of 2009-2011 investigated the relationship between long-term statin therapy and its influence on influenza vaccine efficacy (VE). The results of this post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional observational study, along with a clinical trial, indicated that statins caused a decreased antibody titer after vaccine administration. Over 6000 adults over the age of 65 that had been on statin therapy for at least 28 days before influenza vaccine administration were included in this randomized, controlled, observer-blind clinical trial. Blood samples taken on the day of vaccination and 22 days after vaccination compared the hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) titers. Results from this study were that irrespective of the type of influenza vaccine, the geometric mean titer (GMT) ratio was consistently higher in the control group. In the controls, the GMT ratio was 38% higher for A(H1N1), 68% higher for A(H3N2), and 38% higher for influenza B. The HAI titers were also less in statin therapy patients that were male and patients that were using synthetically derived statins. The decreased HAI titers suggest that there was a decreased serological response to the vaccine in