Statin Use and Incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease in Hypercholesterolemia Patients with Normal Renal Function

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Cardiology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Dyslipidemia is a recognized risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• Existing research on statins' effects on CKD primarily focuses on patients already diagnosed with kidney disease.
• Limited data exists regarding statin use and CKD incidence in the general population with hypercholesterolemia and normal renal function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between statin usage and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• To analyze this relationship in a cohort of patients diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia but possessing normal baseline renal function.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 7,856 participants aged 40-79 years was analyzed.
• Participants were categorized into statin users (n=4,168) and nonusers (n=3,668).
• Cox proportional hazard regression models were employed to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CKD incidence over a median follow-up of 5.8 years.

Main Results:

• A total of 543 CKD cases were documented during the study period.
• A statistically significant difference in CKD incidence was observed between male statin nonusers and users (p < 0.001).
• No significant difference in CKD incidence was found between female statin nonusers and users (p = 0.126). Adjusted HRs for CKD were 1.014 (0.773-1.330) in males and 1.117 (0.843-1.481) in females using statins compared to nonusers.

Conclusions:

• Statin use in patients with hypercholesterolemia and normal renal function does not show a definitive relationship with the incidence of CKD.
• The findings suggest that while dyslipidemia is a risk factor for CKD, the role of statins in preventing CKD in this specific population requires further investigation.