A new study suggests that millions of people who take statins may be less likely to die from Covid but experts warn findings do not prove cholesterol-lowering drugs can reduce death rates, reports The Guardian.
What are statins?
Statins are cholesterol-lowering drug. They can also reduce inflammation in blood vessels, which has prompted questions over whether they could help with outcomes in coronavirus patients.
The new study
Now a large study published in PLOS Medicine suggests statins are associated with a slightly lower risk of dying from Covid-19.
The research looked at the relationship between the drugs and Covid mortality. Using data from Swedish registers, the Karolinska Institute followed 963,876 residents of Stockholm over the age of 45 between March and November 2020.
The outcome
However, experts urge caution over the results and stressed that the findings did not prove that statins can reduce death rates.
The results were based on analyses of data on the participants’ prescribed medication and healthcare and from the cause of death register. The information was analysed with respect to such factors as diagnosed medical conditions.
The co-first author Viktor Ahlqvist, of the Department of Global Public Health at the Karolinska Institute, said: “All in all, 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.”
Tim Chico, a professor of cardiovascular medicine and honorary consultant cardiologist at the University of Sheffield, who was not involved in the study, said it was not yet clear why statins may help Covid patients.
“This study does not prove that statins reduce death in Covid-19, but does provide some supportive clues. It observes that people prescribed statins were less likely to die than similar people. However, this does not prove the statins caused the reduced death rates; to do so needs a randomised controlled trial.”
What are the limitation of the study?
Limitations of the study include the use of prescription data without the possibility of checking individual drug use, and not being able to control for risk factors such as smoking and high BMI.
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Source: The Guardian
