Statin Drugs May Reduce COVID-19 Deaths by 25 Percent

Statins drugs used to reduce cholesterol in the blood to prevent cardiovascular disease may be a viable treatment for COVID-19. These medications are currently taken by 1 in 4 people, making them the most widely used drugs in the world. Now, researchers have found that statin drugs may reduce the risk of dying in those infected by COVID-19 by 22% to 25%.

The latest study was carried out in Catalonia, Spain, and published in the European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy, according to Science Magazine. The researchers analyzed data from 19 hospitals in Catalonia during the first wave of the pandemic from March to May.

According to their study, 25.4% of patients who died were not being treated by statin drugs, while 19.8% who lost their lives to COVID-19 were on statins — a 22.8% reduction in mortality. Interestingly, if patients continued with their medication, mortality was further reduced to 25%.

The researchers, led by Luis Masana, from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili concluded that taking statin drugs “significantly reduces patient mortality.” Masana said, “The data indicate that treatment with statins prevents 1 in 5 deaths.”

Masana emphasized that the pandemic has led many people to stop taking preventative medical measures, like screenings or taking prescription medications. “In the case of statin drugs, we have demonstrated that fear of the pandemic should never be used as an excuse to suspend treatment,” he said, according to Science Magazine.

In July, Chinese researchers along with the University of California, Los Angeles’ Dr. Yibin Wang, professor of molecular medicine in the David Geffen School of Medicine, also showed that hospitalized patients on statin drugs were not only less likely to die, but also less likely to need mechanical ventilation, according to UCLA Health. Statin use was also linked to lower levels of inflammation and a lower incidence of acute respiratory distress. Wang said this was the first time a link was observed in statin use and COVID-19 mortality.

Masana said that while his initial research was not conducted to prove that statin drugs are indicated for COVID-19 treatment, it nevertheless paved the way for further studies.