Statins Linked to Lowered Death Risk from COVID-19

Statins, which are used to lower the cholesterol levels in the body are linked to a slightly reduced risk of death from COVID-19. The study published in the journal PLOS Medicine, indicates that statin treatment slightly lowers COVID-19 mortality.

Statins are a recommended and common intervention for preventing cardiovascular events by decreasing levels of lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood.

‘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.’
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The researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden conducted the largest population study to date in the field.

Using data from Swedish registers, the researchers of the latest study followed 963,876 residents of Stockholm over the age of 45 between March and November 2020.

The findings are based on analyses of data on the participants’ prescribed medication and healthcare and from the Cause of Death Register.

Link between Statins and Vitamin D
Statins, the cholesterol-lowering medications, and vitamin D appear to complement each other’s effects.

The information was analyzed with respect to such factors as diagnosed medical conditions.

Statin treatment was associated with a slightly lower risk of dying from COVID-19, a correlation that did not vary significantly among risk groups.

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"Our results suggest that statin treatment can have a moderate prophylactic effect on COVID-19 mortality," said study co-first author Rita Bergqvist, a medical student at Karolinska Institutet.

"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," said study co-first author Viktor Ahlqvist, a doctoral student at Karolinska Institutet.

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Limitation of the study includes concerns the use of prescription data without the possibility of checking individual drug use.

They were also not able to control for risk factors such as smoking and high body mass index (BMI), only diagnosed health status.



Source-Medindia