Statin Therapy and the Risk of Viral Infection: A Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

Statins exert cholesterol-independent beneficial effects, including immunomodulatory effects. In this study, we attempted to investigate the association between statin therapy and the risk of viral infection. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified patients with hyperlipidemia and divided them into two cohorts: statin users and statin nonusers. A 1:1 propensity score matching was conducted between the two cohorts, and a Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the risk of viral infection. Overall, a total of 20,202 patients were included in each cohort. The median follow-up durations were 4.41 and 6.90 years for statin nonusers and users, respectively. The risk of viral infection was 0.40-fold (95% confidence interval = 0.38–0.41) in statin users than in statin nonusers after adjustment for potential confounders. Statin treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of viral infection in all age groups older than 18 years in both men and women. Moreover, the risk of viral infection substantially reduced as the duration of statin treatment increased. Our findings suggest that statin therapy is associated with a significantly lower risk of viral infection in patients with hyperlipidemia.

Metabolic regulation of type I interferon production

“…Might the targeting of metabolic pathways be useful clinically to promote antiviral immunity or limit autoimmunity via modulation of type I IFNs? Statins, which are targeting cholesterol metabolism significantly reduced risk of viral infection, including SARS‐CoV‐2 89,90 while data on mortality are unclear 91 . However, studies comparing the efficacy in humans are mostly retrospective, therefore comparing patients already using statins with cohorts without statin treatment 89,92–94 .…”

Navigating the Complex Landscape of Ebola Infection Treatment: A Review of Emerging Pharmacological Approaches

“…The study compared statin users ( n = 20,202) and non-statin users ( n = 20,202) from a population with hyperlipidemia. Statin treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of viral infection in all age groups older than 18 years in both men and women, and this risk was reduced as the duration of treatment increased [ 137 ]. While this study only observed people with hyperlipidemia, and the mechanism by which statins might be associated with a lower risk of viral infections was not explored, the data obtained are certainly interesting when considering the potential of repurposing statins for EBOV infection.…”