According to the "2020 China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report," cardiovascular disease affects a staggering 330 million people in China, and its incidence continues to rise. This accounts for 40% of premature deaths in China. One important indicator and risk factor for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease is blood lipid abnormalities, for which effective medication such as statins can be used.
Statins are widely used in the field of cardiovascular disease and are known to effectively prevent and reduce the incidence and mortality rates of the disease. In addition to its use in cardiovascular disease, recent studies also suggest that statins can lower the risk of developing liver cancer.
In 2016, research from Massachusetts General Hospital found that statins lowered the risk of liver cancer by 49% in individuals with HCV infection. Another study in 2021 from Hong Kong University found that statins were associated with reduced risk of liver cancer in heart failure patients.
However, these studies were conducted on specific populations, so it remains unclear whether statins can reduce the risk of liver cancer in the general population.
A recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open led by Carolin Victoria Schneider from Aachen University Hospital in Germany analyzed data from nearly 1.8 million people in three large cohorts in Europe and America. The researchers found that regular use of statins in the general population was associated with a 28% reduction in the risk of developing new liver disease and a 74% reduction in the risk of developing liver cancer, compared to those who did not use statins.
Furthermore, the study found that statins were particularly beneficial for male, diabetic, and liver fibrosis patients according to analysis of data from the UK Biobank cohort.
These findings suggest that statins may be used in the future to prevent liver disease, but further clinical trials are needed to confirm their effectiveness.
Blood lipid abnormalities are an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and statins have proven to be effective in reducing its incidence and mortality rates. The latest research also suggests that statins may have a significant liver-protective effect in the general population, especially for certain subgroups. However, further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of statins in preventing liver cancer.