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Abstract

TITLE: MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF STATIN THERAPY FOR LIVER DISEASE PREVENTION: TARGETING PATIENTS WITH UNMET STATIN THERAPY NEEDS

Background: Chronic liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and viral hepatitis, contribute significantly to liver-related morbidity and mortality. Statins, commonly prescribed for dyslipidemia, have been suggested to possess hepatoprotective effects beyond their lipid-lowering properties. This study aims to assess the association between statin use and liver-related outcomes, including hepatocellular carcinoma incidence and liver-related mortality, utilizing data from the UK Biobank.

Methods: Propensity score matching was employed to match patients without prior liver disease. Patients were matched according to the following criteria: Age, sex, BMI, ethnicity, diabetes mellitus with or without insulin or biguanide use, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, dyslipidemia, aspirin use, and number of medications taken. The study compared primary outcomes between 205,057 statin-users and non-users after matching using cox regression models as well as Fine and Grey models in R. We defined incident liver disease as the occurrence of any new diagnosis of K70-K77 after baseline. Hepatocellular carcinoma was identified using ICD-10 code C22.0, and liver-related death was determined based on deaths attributed to either K70-K77 or C22.0.

Results: In the UK Biobank (n=205,057), statin-users exhibited a 15.4% reduced risk of developing new liver disease (HRUKB=0.846, 95% CI, 0.782-0.915; p=<.001), a 28.0% lower risk of liver-associated death (HRUKB=0.720, 95% CI, 0.588-0.880; p=.001) and a 42% lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development (HRUKB=0.580, 95% CI, 0.350-0.963; p=0.04). When comparing statin-users to non-users with an indication for statin therapy but without a statin prescription, the risk reduction for new liver disease increased to 23.6% (HRUKB=0.764, 95% CI, 0.693-0.842; p=<.001).

Conclusion: Our findings strongly suggest that the utilization of statins is linked to a notable reduction in liver-related outcomes, such as the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related mortality. Notably, these findings were even more pronounced when comparing individuals who were prescribed statins to non-users who were likely candidates for statin treatment. Our comprehensive analysis provides robust evidence that underscores the potential preventive benefits of statins on liver disease.

Related Speaker and Session

Mara Sophie Vell, University Hospital Rwth Aachen
MASLD - Approved/Available Therapeutics

Date: Monday, November 13th

Time: 11:00 - 12:30 PM EST