Whenever the miniscule margin of benefit from the use of statins is exposed,
there is a chorus of claims that statins are imbued with little known, not
yet understood, but nearly magical pleiotropic effects!

Usually these claims are unaccompanied by a critical discussion of why the
makers continue to market these drugs when their effectiveness is minimal,
and when they don't understand the other effects claimed.

This study puts the lie to claims of statin pleiotropic effects in AIDS
patients (putting them on a level of cynical snake-oil-salesmen taking
advantage of the fear and suffering of those afflicted with AIDS).  The
"benefit" of taking these drugs, with so many known debilitating and
disabling adverse effects, was no different from diet and exercise alone:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra
ct&list_uids=16439881&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSum

AIDS. 2006 Feb 14;20(3):455-457.

Long-term statin use does not act on the temporal trend of CD4 cell count in
patients on virologically effective HAART.

Manfredi R, Calza L, Chiodo F.

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Infectious
Diseases, University of Bologna 'Alma Mater Studiorum', S. Orsola Hospital,
Bologna, Italy.

Pleiotropic features are attributed to statins and fibrates, and effects on
laboratory markers of HIV disease progression have been claimed. To assess
whether statins/fibrates have long-term effects on the immune recovery of
patients on virologically effective HAART, a prospective, comparative study
was conducted on 267 dyslipidemic patients treated with either statins,
fibrates, or on a dietary exercise programme only. Quarterly assessment of
CD4 cell counts showed no differences between groups, thus excluding in-vivo
negative immunological effects during effective HAART.

PMID: 16439881 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]