Lifelong statins for long life in dialysis patients?

Thomas Ebert1,2, Peter Bárány1,3

  • 1Karolinska Institutet, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology.

Clinical Kidney Journal
|October 2, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Statins may offer cardiovascular benefits for dialysis patients by stabilizing risk over time, unlike placebo groups where risk increases. This suggests a potential re-evaluation of statin use in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on dialysis.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Dyslipidemia is a significant contributor to cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD).
  • Statins are recommended for CKD patients over 50 not on dialysis to reduce cardiovascular events.
  • Current guidelines do not recommend initiating statins in patients on maintenance dialysis.

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