Taking statins nearly cuts in half the risk of developing cancer among people with HIV, MedPage Today reports. Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 5,357 people with HIV and compared cancer rates between those taking statins and those not on the cholesterol-lowering drugs. They presented their findings at the 7th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2013) in Kuala Lumpur.

The participants were followed for an average of 10.3 years, for a cumulative 52,663 years of follow-up. A total of 375 of them developed cancer during the follow-up period. Meanwhile, 740 (14 percent) of the participants used statins for an average of two years. Twelve (1.6 percent) of the statin-users developed cancer, compared with 363 (7.9 percent) of the non-statin-users.

The researchers concluded that the use of a statin reduced the risk of developing cancer by 46 percent.

To read the MedPage Today story, click here.

To read the conference abstract, click here.