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Published on: November 10, 2017

Statins in COPD: a systematic review

Surinder Janda1, Kirly Park1, J Mark FitzGerald1

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Chest
|April 21, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Statins may benefit patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), improving outcomes like exacerbations and mortality. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm these benefits in COPD management.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pulmonology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Statins (3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) are common for hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease.
  • Emerging evidence suggests statins may reduce morbidity and mortality in COPD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review existing literature on the effects of statin therapy on COPD patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Searched Medline, EMBASE, PapersFirst, and Cochrane databases.
  • Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational cohort studies, case-control studies, and population-based analyses.

Main Results:

  • Nine studies were reviewed (4 retrospective cohorts, 1 nested case-control, 1 retrospective cohort/case series, 2 population-based analyses, 1 RCT).
  • All studies indicated benefits of statins for COPD outcomes, including reduced exacerbations, fewer/delayed intubations, improved pulmonary function, enhanced exercise capacity, and lower COPD-related and all-cause mortality.
  • No studies reported negative or neutral effects of statins on COPD outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Current literature suggests statins may benefit COPD treatment.
  • However, most studies are retrospective and have methodological limitations.
  • Prospective interventional trials are needed to specifically assess statin impact on clinically relevant COPD outcomes.
Abstract

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