Statin treatment tied to moderately lower COVID-19 mortality in large population study accounting for preexisting health conditions and other factors
MONDAY, Oct. 25, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Preexisting statin treatment is associated with slightly lower COVID-19 mortality, according to a study published online Oct. 14 in PLOS Medicine.
Rita Bergqvist, from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues assessed the relationship between statin treatment initiated before the pandemic and COVID-19 mortality among 963,876 Stockholm residents (ages 45 years or older).
The researchers reported that 17.6 percent of the patients in the cohort were statin users. COVID-19-related deaths occurred in 0.5 percent of the statin users and 0.2 percent of nonusers. In an adjusted analysis, statin treatment was associated with lowered COVID-19 mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.88). This association remained consistent across age groups, sexes, and COVID-19 risk groups.
“Our findings support the continued use of statins for conditions such as cardiovascular disease and high levels of blood lipids in line with current recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic,” a coauthor said in a statement.
One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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