Women, who suffer from complications due to autoimmune disorder antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), may avoid miscarriages by the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs (statin), a new study suggests.

People who suffer from APS develop such antibodies in their bodies that target phospholipids that are considered the basic components of cell membrane. APS is considered to increase the risk of miscarriages in women with low risk pregnancies ninefold and 90 percent risk of miscarriages in women with high-risk pregnancies.

In their study, the researchers (from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City) injected cholesterol-lowering drugs into mice with APS prevented activation of white blood cells that harm the fetus. The findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation October issue.

Guillermina Girardi, who led the study said in a news release: “Stains may prove helpful to treat women with APS related pregnancy problems and these drugs are quite safe, as many women can keep taking statins even in pregnancy and the drugs never shown to produce some birth defects in babies.”

Girardi also told that theses cholesterol-lowering drugs didn’t seem to increase the risk of bleeding like in the present APS treatment for APS.

However, he said that further studies were needed to find the safety of cholesterol-lowering drugs in pregnant women.