Statins have no benefits for non-CVD conditions

No convincing evidence exists to support an association between statin use and non-cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, and the current recommendations should not be changed. Annals of Internal Medicine.

Although the role of statins in reducing CVD is well supported, its use and efficacy in other outcomes-including cancer and diabetes-is not.

"An estimated 38.6 million people in the United States (around 12% of the population) were using statins in 2011 to 2012, and recent guidelines for expanded use. "Yazhou He, MD, Sichuan University, West China School of Medicine," wrote about these researchers, "wrote these researchers," he said. , Chengdu, People's Republic of China.

Dr. He and colleagues undertakes this review of meta-analyzes to assess the quantity, validity, and credibility of other associations between statins and non-CVD outcomes, and the effects of these findings.

They looked for MEDLINE, EMBASE, and other sources to identify meta-analyzes of 112 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which focused on 278 single non-CVD outcomes. Upon their analysis, they discovered the following:

• Forced cancer mortality in cancer patients and decreased exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), no 1 class (convincing) evidence and only 2 class II (highly suggestive) associations were found in observational studies. Researchers also found 21 class III (suggestive) associations, and 42 class IV (weak) associations.
• In RCTs, the outcome of decreased all-cause mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) had sufficient evidence to support statin intake. However, the researchers found no evidence that statins improve kidney function.
• Suggestive evidence has been shown that statins increase the risk for diabetes and myopathy in observational studies.
• In RCTs, statins had no statistically significant effects on myopathy, myalgia, or rhabdomyolysis.

"We report a dearth of convincing evidence that statins had a major role in the 278 single non-CVD-evaluated assessment. We identified only two highly suggestive associations (decreased cancer mortality in patients with cancer who had pre-diagnosis and reduced exacerbations in patients with COPD) from RCTs and observational studies, and one outcome (lower all-cause mortality in patients with CKD). , which were classified as having high credibility, "wrote the authors.

"Other potential non-CVD combinations identified in this umbrella include a lower risk for cancer, Alzheimer disease, dementia, kidney injury, and infection. We also identified evidence of potential harms from statins, such as induced diabetes and myopathy; However, the evidence had a relatively low level of credibility, "they concluded.

Therefore, the results of this umbrella review of existing meta-analyzes do not support any change in the existing clinical recommendations regarding the use of non-CVD conditions.