Patients with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or hypertension who were taking statins before being hospitalized for COVID-19 face a lower risk of death, according to new findings published in PLOS One.
Researchers analyzed data from 10,541 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 through September 2020. All data came from the American Heart Association's COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry. Fifty-five percent of patients were men, and the mean patient age was 66 years old. Thirty-six percent of patients were non-Hispanic white, 26% were Hispanic, 26% were Black and 12% were classified as other and/or mixed race.
Before being admitted to a hospital, 42% of patients were taking statins. While 7% were on statins alone, the other 35% were taking statins and at least one anti-hypertensive medication (anti-HTN) .
The team found that 66% of patients had a history of hypertension, 41% were obese, 40% had diabetes, 40% had dyslipidemia, and 32% were diagnosed with CVD. Other comorbidities included pulmonary disease (18%), CKD (15%), cancer (12%) and history of smoking/vaping (7%).
In the study population, 21% died and 39% had a severe outcome. The overall ICU admission rate was 30%, and 19% of patients needed mechanical ventilation.
Overall, after making certain adjustments, the researchers found that pre-hospitalization statin use was associated with a lower risk of mortality. This was true when patients were taking statins alone or statins and at least one anti-HTN.
“We found that the risk reduction from statins and/or anti-HTN medication use was pronounced among individuals with underlying CVD and/or hypertension and was less apparent among healthier users of these medications,” wrote first author Lori B. Daniels, MD, a cardiologist at the University of California San Diego, and colleagues. “This is consistent with the hypothesis that the major benefit of these medications accrues from treating and/or stabilizing underlying disease. Although it is well known that statins improve long-term outcomes among patients with or at elevated risk for CVD, the association with a large short-term benefit which accrues in the setting of hospitalization for COVID-19 is a new and intriguing finding.”
The authors also noted that "randomized, controlled trials" are already underway that will aim to shine new light on how statin use affects COVID-19 patients without a history of CVD or hypertension.
Read the entire study here.