Search

Background: The relationship between statin treatment and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality has been discussed due to the pleiotropic effects of statins on coagulation and immune mechanisms. However, available observational studies are hampered by study design flaws, resulting in substantial heterogeneity and ambiguities. Here, we aim to determine the relationship between statin treatment and COVID-19 mortality. Methods and findings: This cohort study included all Stockholm residents aged 45 or older (N = 963,876), followed up from 1 March 2020 until 11 November 2020. The exposure was statin treatment initiated before the COVID-19-pandemic, defined as recorded statin dispensation in the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register between 1 March 2019 and 29 February 2020. COVID-19-specific mortality was ascertained from the Swedish Cause of Death Registry. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using multivariable Cox regression models. We further performed a target trial emulation restricted to initiators of statins. In the cohort (51.6% female), 169,642 individuals (17.6%) were statin users. Statin users were older (71.0 versus 58.0 years), more likely to be male (53.3% versus 46.7%), more often diagnosed with comorbidities (for example, ischemic heart disease 23.3% versus 1.6%), more frequently on anticoagulant and antihypertensive treatments, less likely to have a university-level education (34.5% versus 45.4%), and more likely to have a low disposable income (20.6% versus 25.2%), but less likely to reside in crowded housing (6.1% versus 10.3%). A total of 2,545 individuals died from COVID-19 during follow-up, including 765 (0.5%) of the statin users and 1,780 (0.2%) of the nonusers. Statin treatment was associated with a lowered COVID-19 mortality (adjusted HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.97, P = 0.01), and this association did not vary appreciably across age groups, sexes, or COVID-19 risk groups. The confounder adjusted HR for statin treatment initiators was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.59 to 1.05, P = 0.10) in the emulated target trial. Limitations of this study include the observational design, reliance on dispensation data, and the inability to study specific drug regimens. Conclusions: Statin treatment had a modest negative association with COVID-19 mortality. While this finding needs confirmation from randomized clinical trials, it supports the continued use of statin treatment for medical prevention according to current recommendations also during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this cohort study, Rita Bergqvist and colleagues investigate the relationship between statin treatment and COVID-19 mortality. Author summary: Why was this study done?: Lipid-lowering HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) may influence Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality via their pleiotropic effects on coagulation and the immune system. Previous studies on this topic have been inconsistent, so we performed a population-based cohort study to investigate the relationship between statins and COVID-19 mortality. What did the researchers do and find?: Using data from Swedish health registers, a cohort of 963,876 residents of Stockholm, Sweden, were followed from 1 March 2020 until 11 November 2020. Prescription dispensation data were matched to healthcare data and the Swedish Cause of Death Registry and analyzed using multivariable cause-specific survival analysis. Statin treatment was associated with a moderately lower risk of COVID-19 mortality (hazard ratio (HR), 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.97), after accounting for a series of preexisting health conditions and other factors. The association was corroborated by sensitivity analyses and did not vary substantially across risk groups. What do these findings mean?: These findings suggest that statin treatment may have a modest preventive therapeutic effect on COVID-19 mortality, although randomized trials are needed to determine the causality of the observed association. In summary, the findings support the continued use of statins for conditions such as cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia, in line with current recommendations, during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]