Statins decrease the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing cause of chronic liver disease and a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• Statins are recognized for their potential in cancer chemoprevention and treatment.
• The specific impact of statins on HCC risk in MASLD patients remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of statin therapy on the incidence of HCC among individuals diagnosed with MASLD.
• To compare HCC risk reduction between lipophilic and hydrophilic statins.
• To assess the correlation between cumulative statin dosage and HCC risk.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized data from studies examining statin use and HCC occurrence in MASLD patients.
• Risk differences for HCC were calculated between statin users and non-users.
• Subgroup analyses considered statin lipophilicity and cumulative defined daily doses (cDDD).

Main Results:

• The meta-analysis included four studies with 291,684 patients.
• MASLD patients on statins exhibited a 60% lower pooled risk of HCC (RR = 0.40).
• Lipophilic statins were associated with reduced HCC risk (RR = 0.42), while hydrophilic statins showed no significant reduction (RR = 0.57).
• Higher cumulative statin doses (>600 cDDD) demonstrated the most significant HCC risk reduction (RR = 0.30).

Conclusions:

• Statin therapy is associated with a decreased risk of developing HCC in the MASLD population.
• The degree of HCC risk reduction is influenced by the cumulative dose and lipophilicity of the statin.
• Findings support the chemopreventive role of statins in MASLD patients at risk for HCC.