Statin Use and the Risk of Subsequent Hospitalized Exacerbations in COPD Patients with Frequent Exacerbations

Chieh-Mo Lin, 1, 2 Tsung-Ming Yang, 1 Yao-Hsu Yang, 3–5 Ying-Huang Tsai, 6, 7 Chuan-Pin Lee, 4 Pau-Chung Chen, 8–11 Wen-Cheng Chen, 12 Meng-Jer Hsieh 1, 7 1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan; 2Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan; 3Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan; 4Health Information and Epidemiology Laboratory of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan; 5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 6Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 7Department of Respiratory Therapy, School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 8Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan; 9Department of Public Health, National Taiwan University College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan; 10Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; 11Office of Occupational Safety and Health, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 12Department of Radiation Oncology, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Chiayi, TaiwanCorrespondence: Meng-Jer HsiehDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, No. 6, West Sec., Jiapu Road, Puzi City, Chiayi County 61363, TaiwanTel +886-5-3621000Email mengjer@yahoo.comRationale: The potential benefits of statins for the prevention of exacerbations in patients with COPD remains con