Statins vs. Omega-3

We recently posted a piece titled “Is there anything Botox can’t do?” We probably picked the wrong subject. Statins and omega-three fatty acids are neck and neck in their attempts to become Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth. Last week a study showed that statins don’t prevent, but don’t cause, cancer. This week we hear that omega-three fatty acids don’t prevent cancer. And today we learn that statins have a protective effect against sepsis, or severe infection. What’s next?

Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, infections, even osteoporosis - all seem to be targets for statins and/or omega-three. But cancer and overweight remain stubbornly resistant. We’ll have to wait a little longer to benefit from a single pill for all ills. In the meantime, avoidance of both cancer and overweight are targets for self-management, as has been pointed out many times.