New findings from ELSA suggest statins may slow expansion of high-risk blood cell mutations

A new study drawing on data

from the English Longitudinal

Study of Ageing reports that

lipid-lowering therapy, predominantly statins, appears

to slow the growth of certain age-related blood cell mutations linked with cardiovascular disease and some blood cancers.

The research, published in the scientific journal Leukemia, focuses on clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, or CHIP. These are acquired genetic changes in blood stem cells that become more common with age. Most cause no problems, but some expand over time and raise the risk of heart disease or, less commonly, haematological malignancy.

Using more than 13,000 blood samples collected in ELSA, the research team characterised the prevalence and behaviour of CHIP in older adults. As seen in other large cohorts, mutations in DNMT3A and TET2 were the most frequent, and CHIP was more common among participants with ischaemic heart disease, hypertension or diabetes.

The study assessed whether routine medications influence how these mutations evolve. By linking detailed medication information with repeat genetic measurements spanning over a decade, the researchers found that people taking lipid-lowering therapy were less likely to have large TET2 mutant clones. In participants with multiple blood samples, statin use was also associated with slower TET2 clonal growth, independent of age, cholesterol levels and cardiovascular history. No similar pattern was observed for DNMT3A mutations.

The team then examined cardiovascular outcomes. Among ELSA participants using statins for primary prevention, those with CHIP experienced a lower incidence of heart attack or stroke than individuals without CHIP receiving the same therapy. Although the numbers were relatively small, this suggests lipid-lowering treatment may bring particular benefit to people with these age-related mutations.

Because ELSA records medication by drug class rather than by specific drug, the study cannot determine whether individual statins differ in effect. However, statins were by far the most commonly prescribed lipid-lowering drugs in England during the study period, making them the most likely driver of the associations observed.

The authors emphasise that these findings show associations rather than proof of causation, and further work will be needed to understand the mechanisms involved. Even so, the results add to wider evidence that medications already used for cardiovascular prevention may also influence the behaviour of age-related blood cell mutations. They underline the value of long-running population studies such as ELSA, which allow researchers to track health, biology and treatment patterns over many years.

Nuttall Musson, E., Hoade, Y., Dace, P., Herrero, J., Denaxas, S., Steptoe, A., & Payne, E. (2025). Analysis of the association of lipid-lowering therapy on clonal dynamics in clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential: insights from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Leukemia. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-025-02822-0

Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases