Is statin therapy safe in patients with HIV/hepatitis C coinfection?

Jeffrey S Stroup1, Bryan Harris

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center)
|April 17, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Statins are safe for patients with HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfection. Further prospective studies are recommended to confirm the safety of statin therapy in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hepatology

Background:

  • Statins effectively manage hypercholesterolemia.
  • Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections often require statin therapy.
  • The safety of statins in coinfected patients is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety of statin therapy in patients coinfected with HIV and HCV.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective evaluation of five coinfected patients receiving statin therapy in an outpatient setting.

Main Results:

  • Statins were found to be safe in the evaluated coinfected patient cohort.
  • No adverse events related to statin use were reported in this small sample.

Conclusions:

  • Statins appear to be safe for individuals coinfected with HIV and HCV.
  • Further investigation via a prospective controlled trial is warranted to confirm these findings and establish definitive safety guidelines.

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