Study suggests that people who take statins are less likely to die from Covid | statins

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A scientific study has found that millions of people who take statins may be less likely to die from Covid.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs are among the most popular drugs in the world. They can also reduce inflammation in the blood vessels, which has raised questions about whether they can help with outcomes in coronavirus patients.

A large study published in PLOS Medicine now reports that statins are associated with a small reduction in the risk of death from Covid-19. However, experts urged caution about the findings and stressed that the findings did not prove that statins can reduce mortality rates.

The research looked at the relationship between medications and Covid mortality. Using data from Swedish registries, Karolinska Institutet followed 963,876 Stockholm residents over the age of 45 between March and November 2020.

The results were based on analyzes of data on the participants’ prescribed medications and healthcare and from the registry of causes of death. Information was analyzed in relation to factors such as diagnoses of medical conditions.

Co-first author Victor Alqvist, of the Department of Global Public Health at Karolinska Institutet, said: “Overall, our results support the continued use of statins for conditions such as cardiovascular disease and high levels of blood lipids in line with current recommendations during the Covid-19 pandemic. “.

The researchers caution that randomized studies are needed to confirm a causal relationship.

Study limitations include the use of prescription data without the possibility of verifying individual drug use, and the inability to control for risk factors such as smoking and high body mass index.

Tim Chico, professor of cardiovascular medicine and consultant cardiologist at the University of Sheffield, who was not involved in the study, said it was not yet clear why statins might help Covid patients.

“Covid-19 can cause severe lung infections but it also causes inflammation in the blood vessels,” he said. Because statins reduce inflammation in blood vessels, there has been much debate about whether they would improve outcomes in Covid-19.

This study does not prove that statins reduce death in Covid-19, but it does provide some supporting evidence. He notes that people who were prescribed statins were less likely to die than similar people. However, this does not prove that statins caused the lower death rates. To do this would need a randomized controlled trial.”

Chico also urged caution after other drugs that were initially promising in helping Covid patients, were not helpful.

“It is important that we learn from this and measure appropriately in how we describe these findings,” he said. “These findings in no way justify the use of statins in the treatment of Covid-19. We already have effective ways to reduce the risk of death in Covid-19 – social distancing, hand washing, wearing masks and vaccination in the population, and using technologies and medicines with a good evidence base (such as dexamethasone) in people with Covid-19 infection.”

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