Statins Down the Risk of Death from COVID-19: Study

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have conducted the largest population study to identify the link between statins and COVID-19 risk of death.

Statins may influence the risk of death from COVID-19. The study by the team of researchers at Karolinska Institutet is published in PLOS Medicine. The study indicates that statin treatment slightly lowers COVID-19 mortality.

Statins may reduce COVID-19 mortality via their effects on coagulation and the immune system has engaged scientists and doctors.

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‘Statin treatment can have a moderate prophylactic effect on COVID-19 mortality.’
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Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now carried out the largest population study to date on the relationship between statins and COVID-19 mortality.

Researchers followed 963,876 residents of Stockholm over the age of 45 between March and November 2020 from swedish registers.

The information was analyzed with respect to such factors as diagnosed medical conditions. The results show that statin treatment was associated with a slightly lower risk of dying from COVID-19, a correlation that did not vary significantly among risk groups.

“Our results suggest that statin treatment can have a moderate prophylactic effect on COVID-19 mortality,” says co-first author Rita Bergqvist, medical student at Karolinska Institutet.

Randomized studies will be needed to ascertain whether there is a causal relationship, note the researchers.

“All in all, our findings 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,” says co-first author Viktor Ahlqvist, doctoral student at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet.

One limitation of the study concerns the use of prescription data without the possibility of checking individual drug use. The researchers were also not able to control for risk factors such as smoking and high BMI, only diagnosed health status.

The researchers received no financing for the study. Co-author Johan Sundström holds shares in Eli Lilly, Boehringer, Bayer, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and others; there are no other reported conflicts of interest.

Source-Medindia