According to Japanese researchers statins, drugs widely used to treat High cholesterol, have a potential role in inflammation and other cell processes, including immune response and rheumatoid arthritis.

The researchers say that they have also been shown to be effective in killing off the cells in some tumours.

The Japanese team found a particular type of statin, fluvastatin, could produce the same effect on synovial cells taken from people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Sufferers from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience an over-production of the synovial tissue which lines the joints causing pain and swelling.

Until this study little was known about the effect of statins on this type of tissue.

A study examined whether statins are effective in treating with RA and found statins could induce the cells that produce this tissue to kill themselves.

However, the drug had no effect on cells taken from people with oestoarthritis.

The dose of statins used in the experiment were much higher than that which would normally be prescribed to patients and the researchers say it is possible that a lower dose may have a similar effect on patients, but acknowledge that more work is needed.

The use of statins in treating people with rheumatoid arthritis is to be examined in a major trial in the UK involving as many as 3,500 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The study which is primarily designed to find out if statins will reduce the number of deaths from heart attacks and strokes, will be funded by the Arthritis Research Campaign and the British Heart Foundation.

Apparently people with rheumatoid arthritis face an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular complications compared with the general population, but despite this, few are prescribed statins.

Already doctors involved in the trial are saying that if, as they expect, statins are shown to reduce cardiovascular deaths in rheumatoid arthritis patients, then most patients with the condition should be routinely prescribed the drugs.

The study is published in the February 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.