Statins (atorvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, etc.) are drugs used to effectively lower cholesterol levels in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke). It is estimated that 25% of people over 40 and 50% of people over 70 use them.
Various studies have proven that Statins have a beneficial effect on patients with liver disease (including liver cirrhosis), published in the journal Hepatology
. However, statins are associated with increased liver enzyme levels in liver patients. This usually occurs within the first 90 days of treatment, although it is usually temporary and gradually resolves without the need to discontinue the statin. Therefore, for liver diseases without cirrhosis, the use of statins is not contraindicated.Use in the treatment of fatty liver
Several studies have shown that statin treatment may be beneficial for fatty liver to prevent and slow down the onset of fibrosis. Additionally, statin treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of fatty liver disease. This is due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of statins, and also because by lowering cholesterol levels, the risk of fatty deposits in the liver is reduced, which is very beneficial for liver diseases, especially fatty liver.
When Statin treatment has also demonstrated excellent safety in patients with cirrhosis. and the contribution of benefits to disease control. In this sense, prescribing statins for liver cirrhosis has been shown to reduce the risk of mortality by 40% compared to no treatment, and infections are also reduced by 33%. Also, prescribing statins to these patients reduces the risk of complications (hepatic decompensation) by 46% and helps reduce the risk of bleeding, since the pressure in the portal vein decreases. Finally, it was observed that the likelihood of developing liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis receiving statins was reduced by 37%.
In our Foundation Dr. Carreno and his team prescribe statin treatment to liver patients when indicated.