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All-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients receiving statin therapy: analysis of veterans affairs database cohort study

Ali A El-Solh1,2,3,4, Yolanda Lawson5, Daniel A El-Solh5

  • 1VA Western New York Healthcare System, 3495 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, NY, 14215, USA. solh@buffalo.edu.

Internal and Emergency Medicine
|October 12, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study found that prior statin use did not reduce 30-day mortality or the need for mechanical ventilation in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Statin exposure was not associated with improved outcomes for COVID-19 patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Pharmacology
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Statins possess pleiotropic properties, leading to their investigation as a potential treatment for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).
  • Understanding the impact of pre-existing statin use on COVID-19 patient outcomes is crucial for clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the association between antecedent statin exposure and 30-day all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients.
  • To investigate the effect of statin use on intensive care unit (ICU) admission and the need for mechanical ventilation in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

  • An observational cohort study utilized data from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse for veterans diagnosed with COVID-19 between January and May 2020.
  • Antecedent statin use was defined as a prescription filled within 6 months prior to COVID-19 diagnosis.
  • Propensity-matched mixed-effects logistic regression models were employed to analyze the association between statin use and clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

  • The study included 14,268 COVID-19 patients, with 7,168 having prior statin exposure.
  • Statin-exposed patients had a higher prevalence of comorbidities but, after covariate adjustment, statin use was not associated with decreased 30-day mortality (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.88-1.12).
  • No significant association was found between antecedent statin use and reduced risk of ICU admission (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.74-1.31) or mechanical ventilation (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.81-1.29).

Conclusions:

  • Antecedent statin exposure in patients with COVID-19 was not associated with a reduced risk of 30-day all-cause mortality.
  • Statin use did not demonstrate a significant benefit in decreasing the likelihood of ICU admission or the need for mechanical ventilation in this cohort.
  • Further research may be needed to fully elucidate the role of statins in COVID-19 management.

Keywords:
COVID-19ICU admissionMechanical ventilationMortalityRespiratory failureStatins

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