TABLE 1.
Retrospective and observational studies of the effects of statin on COVID-19 outcomes.
| References | Study type | Main effects a | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhang et al. (2020) | Retrospective | ↑ | In-hospital statin use was associated with 44.7%↓ of all-cause mortality |
| Statin benefits may be due to immunomodulation; at 28 d hospital admission C-reactive protein (CRP) (42%↓), interleukin-6 (41%↓), and neutrophil (23%↓) for statin vs. non-statin survivors | |||
| Tan et al. (2020) | Retrospective | ↑ | Statin use was independently associated with 49%↓ of ICU admission |
| These dyslipidemia patients have a higher innate immune response (white blood cells ↑8.2% and neutrophils ↑13.8%) | |||
| Saeed et al. (2020) | Observational | ↑ | In-hospital patients with diabetes and COVID-19 on statins had lower CRP (21%↓) and mortality (38.5%↓) |
| Patients with diabetes had a 2–3 × greater risk of death with COVID-19; this study was on sicker patients | |||
| Chacko et al. (2021) | Retrospective | ↑ | Antecedent statin use was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (OR 0.14) |
| These were very sick patients on admission (65 years, borderline obese; body mass index (29.5 kg/m2), high blood pressure (88%), type 2 diabetes (64%), coronary artery disease (CAD) (34%), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (14%) | |||
| Worst odds (OR) for in-hospital mortality; Intubation > ESRD > Age > CAD > Male | |||
| Umakanthan et al. (2021) | Retrospective | ↑ | Patients with COVID-19 on statin had lower mortality (44.8%↓) and need of mechanical ventilator (17.4%↓), CRP (17.4%↓) and WBC (8.2%↓) |
| Statin use in patients with COVID-19 lowered total cholesterol (6.3%↓) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (14%↓), and improved survival and severity | |||
| Lee et al. (2021) | Observational | ↑ | Prior statin use in patients with COVID-19 had 26.3% less severe clinical outcomes and 9.5% shorter hospital stay |
| El-Solh et al. (2022) | Observational | ↓ | Statin was not associated with decreased mortality nor ICU admission nor mechanical ventilator use |
| A high proportion of statin users were older (66 years) men (91%) known to have higher comorbidities and higher risk of mortality | |||
| Shen et al. (2021) | Retrospective | ↑ | Statin use in patients with COVID-19 had a lower risk of in-hospital mortality (87%↓) than non-users |
| This benefit is true for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) as well as non-CHD patients | |||
| Bergqvist et al. (2021) | Observational | ↑ | Statin treatment had preventive effects on COVID-19 mortality |
| Kuno et al. (2022) | Observational | ↑ | In-hospital statin use decreased in-hospital mortality compared to patients who discontinued (34%↓) |
a
Retrospective and observational studies that improved (↑) and did not improve (↓) in patient severity and death.