- In Terms of Death Risk, Liver Cancer is One of the Leading Types of Cancer Linked To High Mortality.
- Experts have Been Trying to Find Ways To Help People Who Are Most at Risk for Liver Cancer.
- One Study Explored The Use of Statins, A Class of Medications Typically used to loower LDL Cholesterol Levels to Reduce The Risk of Stroke and Heart Disease.
- Researchers Found That Statin Use Deciese The Risk for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Hepatic Decompensation, which is an Advanced Stage of Liver Disease.
According to the National Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Ranks
The Authors Found That Statin Use Appeared to decrease the “10-YEAR-CUMULATIVE INSENCE” OF LIVER CANCER AND HEPATIC DECOMMENTION, OR DECOMMENEDATED CIRROSIS. Hepatic Decompensation Is When a person may be reacing end Stage Liver Failure and Experiences Complications Such as Ascites and Joundice as Liver Function Continued to decree.
Participants in This Study Who Used Lipophilic (Fat-Soluble) Statins Like Atorvastatin and Simvastatin Had the Greatest Outcomes for Liver Cancer, and Participants With Longer Exposure to Statins Had the Best Outcomes for Liver Cancer and Hepatic Decompensation.
Participants on Statins Also Had Better Outcomes for Liver Fibrosis, which is a Buildup of Scar Tissue That Can Make It Hard for The Liver to Function.
How do Statins Affect Liver Cancer Risk?
Researchers examined How Statin Use AFFEED HEPATOCHELLULAR CARCINOMA AND LIVER DECOMMENTION.
This Historical Cohort Study Included 16,501 participants. OF THIS, 3,610 WERE STATIN USERS. Data was from Hospitals That Were Part of the Mass General Brigham Health Care System.
The Average Age of Participants Was Just Under Age 60. All participants were over 40 Years of Age and Had Chronic Liver Disease. Participants Had Received Their Chronic Liver Disease Between July 2000 and June 2023. They Excluded Participants Based on Factors Like Previous Liverus Liver Transplant Or Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Rubinging Fibrosis, They Excluded Participants with A Fibrosis-4 Score Lower Than 1.3. This Blood Test Indicates The Degree of Fibrosis in the Liver, with A Higher Number Indicating Worse Fibrosis.
Participants were not taking statins for the first 180 Days After diagnosis of chronic liver disease. Five Statins Participants Took Were Lipophilic Statins, and Two Were Hydrophilic Statins. Participants were Consid Nonstatin Users If The Cumulative Defined Daily Dome Was Less Than Thirty.
During the Study, There Were 755 Incident Cases of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and 2,011 Cases of Hepatic Decompensation.
The Results of the Study Showed Better Outcomes for Participants Who Used Statins.
The 10-YEAR CUMULATIVE INCINDENCE OF HEPATOCHELLULAR CARCINOMA WAS LOWER FOR STATIN USERS. While 8% of Nonusers Develop Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Only 3.8% of Statin Users Did.
After the multivariable adjustment, Found that statin users’ risk for hepatocellular carcinoma was 33% Lower than for participants Who Did not use statins.
The 10-YEAR CUMULATIVE INCIDENCE OF HEPATIC DECOMMENTION WAS ALSO BETTER FOR STATIN USERS. While 19.5% of Nonusers Developed Hepatic Decompensation, Only 10.6% of Statin Users Did. After the multivariable adjustment, statin users had 22% Lower Risk for Hepatic Decompensation.
WHEN LOOKING AT THE DURATION OF USE, THOSE WITH THE LARGE DURATION SAW THE MOST MINIMAL 10-YEAR CUMULATIVE INCIDENCE RATE OF HEPATOCHELLULAR CARCINOMA AND HEPATIC DECOMMENTION. However, Thue with Less Time of Statin Use Still Had Better Outcomes In these Areas Compared To Nonusers.
Refecchers Also Analyzed If Statin Type Impact the Outcomes.
The Lipophilic Statin Group Had Slightly Better Outcomes than The Hydrophil Statin Group for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. For the Hydrophil Statin Group, The 10-Yar Cumulative Insence Was 4.1%, While it was 3.7% for the Lipophil Statin Group.
In contrast, The Hydrophilic Statin Group Had Better Outcomes for Hepatic Decompensation. The Hydrophilic Statin Group Had at 7.9% 10-YEAR CUMULATIVE INCIDENCE, WHILE THE LIPOHILIC STATIN GROUP WAS 11.2%.
Subgroup Analysis Also Showed The Benefits of Statin Use. For Example, Among Participants With Dyslipidemia, Ie Those Who Had Blood Lipid Levels That Were Too High or Low, Using Statins Helped To Decree The Risk for Hepatocellular Carcinoma by 57%.
Statin-Useing Participants With Cirrhosis Saw A Lower 10-YEAR INCENDENCE OF HEPATOCHELLULAR CARCINOMA AND HEPATIC DECOMMENTION. Statin-Useing Participants With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Those Without, with other causa causes of chronic liver disease, and participants Taking metformin and aspirin also saw risk reduction for hepatocellular carcinoma.
ADDITIONALLY, REFOCACERS EXAMINED A SUBSET OF ABUT 7,000 TOTE IF STATIN USE Use the transition to VARIOUS STAGES OF LIVER FIBROSIS.
The Authors Note That People With Low Liver Fibrosis Also Have Low Incidents of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Fewer Statin participants transitioned from an intermediate to a high fibrosis score. More Statin Users Moved From The High Fibrosis Score Group To The Intermediate Group Than Non-Statin Users. More statin users Also Moved from the intermediate group to the low Group.
With participants who developed hepatocellular carcinoma, there were worse fibrosis outcomes than for participants who did not develop hepatocellular carcinoma.
Refectchers Note That The Findings “Underscore The Potential of Statins as Chemopreventive Agents Against HCC (Hepatocellular Carcinoma) Through their Role in Mitigating Fibrosis Progression.”
Study Limitations
The Research Does Have Certain Limitations. First, it focused on one region and users of one particular Healthcare System; About 79% of participants were White. IT Also Focused on Hospital-Based Participants Who Met Inclusion Criteria. Thus, The Results Cannot Be Generalized to Everyone.
Second, Researchers Were Uble to Adjust for Several Confooters, But Others, Like Socioeconomic Status or Healthcare Access, Could has influenced the Findings. Third, Refrikers Could Not Account for Possible Treatments Participants Received Postindex and Had to Assume that All Participants The Standard of Care APPROPRIATE FOR THES TYPE OF CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE.
Finally, They Only used the fibrosis-4 score method to look at indirectly fibrosis, and liver biopsies wouled have been more direct.
More Research on Different Statins Needed
Patrick Kee, MD, PHD, Cardiologist, Vital Heart & Veinkee, Who Was Not Involved in the Study, Note The Following Regarding The Study’s Limitations as Well:
“This Study is retrospective and did not Involve Randomized Controlled Trials to Assess The Efficacy of Statin Therapy In Preventing The Development of HCC and Hepatic Decompensation Among Individuals With Cld (Chronic Liver Disease). OTHER COMPLING REASONS FOR ITS USE, SUCH AS CORONARY ARTERY DIRECT, PERIPHEAL ARTERS Potentially influence the observant Treatment Effects. “
More Research is Likely Needed to Look at the Effects of Different Types of Statins As Well.
Kee Note The Following:
“The APPARENT LOWER INSENCE OF HCC AND HEPATIC DECOMMENTION AMONG SUBJECTS EXPOSED TO LIPOPHILIC STATINS ACARED TO HYDROPHIL STATINS IS MINIMAL, WITH DIFFERENCE OF ONLY 0.4% OVER 10-YEAR PERIVERY.
More Research Is Also Required to Understand the particular Benefits of Lipophilic Statins, Including How They Act on The Body to Decree The Risk of Liver Cancer. Continue to examine The Effects of Hydrophilic Statins May Also Be beneficial, as Well As Longer Studies.
Wael Harb, MD, Board-Certified Hematologist and Medical Oncologist at Memorialcare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, Ca, Who Was Also Not Involved in the Study, Note Hat Statins May Have Oher Oher Benefits But The More Research Needed.
“While before Findings Cannot Supply on Their Own (as this was an observational study), they contribute to a growing body of researcch hinting that statins mightins might have benefits Well Beyond Cholesterol Management. Of Course, Further Research – Ideaaly Prospective Prospective Or Randomized Trials – Woold Help Clarify Which Patient Subgroups Benefit Most, How Long That Benefit Is, and Whether Specific Statins or Doses Have The Strongest Effect. ”
– Wael Harb, MD
Could Statins Be a Preventive Measure for Liver Disease?
This Study Notes The Potential Benefit of Statin Use in People Who Have Chronic Liver Disease.
Harb Note The Following:
“ Groups Would Benefit Most and Whether these benefits can be replicated in prospective clinical trials. “
It may be a while Before there are direct clinical applications.
“Statin therapy is not intended to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or hepatic decompensation, but it may be considered as addional potential benefit in patients at risk of developing these liver conditions.”
– Patrick Kee, MD, PHD
There Should Be Caution with Use As Well, Accompanied by Expert Guidance That Weight Potential Risks and Benefits.
“In patients with dyslipidemia and elevated Liver enzymes, Physicans Often Express Concerns About The Safety of Initiating Statin Therapy for Treating Hyperlipidemia. Note
