Statins could keep the arteries of advanced heart disease patients feeling younger, it has been suggested.

A study carried out by staff at the University of Cambridge in the UK and published in the journal Circulation Research suggests the cholesterol-lowering drugs could hold back the arterial aging process in such people.

The research found statins seem to increase levels of the protein NBS-1, which is related to the repair of DNA within cells, meaning they could hold off the effects of old age in artery walls, the BBC reports.

Professor Martin Bennett, study leader, said: "It's an exciting breakthrough to find that statins not only lower cholesterol but also rev up the cells' own DNA repair kit, slowing the ageing process of the diseased artery."

He suggests if statins can do this for other cells, they could protect normal tissue from DNA damage that occurs as part of cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, potentially reducing the side effects.

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