Statins and Renin Angiotensin System Inhibitors Dose-Dependently Protect Hypertensive Patients against Dialysis Risk

Taiwan has the highest renal disease incidence and prevalence in the world. We evaluated the association of statin and renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RASI) use with dialysis risk in hypertensive patients.

Of 248,797 patients who received a hypertension diagnosis in Taiwan during 2001-2012, our cohort contained 110,829 hypertensive patients: 44,764 who used RASIs alone; 7,606 who used statins alone; 27,836 who used both RASIs and statins; and 33,716 who used neither RASIs or statins. We adjusted for the following factors to reduce selection bias by using propensity scores (PSs): age; sex; comorbidities; urbanization level; monthly income; and use of nonstatin lipid-lowering drugs, metformin, aspirin, antihypertensives, diuretics, and beta and calcium channel blockers. The statin and RASI use index dates were considered the hypertension confirmation dates. To examine the dose-response relationship, we categorized only statin or RASI use into four groups in each cohort: <28 (nonusers), 28-90, 91-365, and >365 cumulative defined daily doses (cDDDs).

In the main model, PS-adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for dialysis risk were 0.57 (0.50-0.65), 0.72 (0.53-0.98), and 0.47 (0.41-0.54) in the only RASI, only statin, and RASI + statin users, respectively. RASIs dose-dependently reduced dialysis risk in most subgroups and in the main model. RASI use significantly reduced dialysis risk in most subgroups, regardless of comorbidities or other drug use (P < 0.001). Statins at >365 cDDDs protected hypertensive patients against dialysis risk in the main model (aHR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.54-0.71), regardless of whether a high cDDD of RASIs, metformin, or aspirin was used.

Statins and RASIs independently have a significant dose-dependent protective effect against dialysis risk in hypertensive patients. The combination of statins and RASIs can additively protect hypertensive patients against dialysis risk.