DEAR DR. GOTT:
My husband is 63 years old, 5’ 11”, 145 pounds (small frame) and has a blood pressure of 115/70. He currently takes 20 mg Lipitor for an untreated cholesterol level of 280.

I would like to know if statins can suppress the immune system. My husband and I usually catch the same cold but I recover in three days while his takes up to a month, sometimes more. Right now he has had cold symptoms (congestion and fatigue) for 10 days. It doesn’t seem to have progressed to a sinus infection yet. It is the same with every cold.

I haven’t spoken to my personal physician yet, but I don’t believe he would even consider the possibility of a link. I have done my own research on Google and there seems to be a possible connection but finding a reliable source that says so is difficult. [Read more...]