Article Highlights
• Source: Cureus
• Conclusion/Relevance: “Statins have been shown to exhibit a positive effect on lipid levels in addition to an anti-inflammatory effect. High-intensity statins, in particular atorvastatin, have demonstrated good anti-inflammatory effects with a reduction in adverse cardiac events. Although limited evidence was found as to the efficacy of rosuvastatin, the benefits are still expected to be seen as with atorvastatin. Low and moderate-intensity statins also show significant reductions in inflammatory biomarkers. It has also been seen that dual anti-lipid therapy, in addition to other anti-inflammatory agents combined with statin therapy, provides a significant reduction in systemic inflammation. It is important to continue exploring the use of statins as a mainstay of management, not only for their anti-lipid benefits but also for anti-inflammatory benefits through long-term therapy.”
• In the current systematic review, researchers analyzed 12 published articles based on RCTs to determine whether drug therapy with different statins resulted in anti-inflammatory effects in addition to positive effects on lipid reduction, as well as cardiovascular risk.
• The researchers found that statin therapy—especially high-intensity—exerted anti-inflammatory effects. There was, however, limited data on the use of rosuvastatin and other high-intensity therapies.
• Importantly, many patients receiving lipid-lowering therapy with statins are likely to be on other atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease protective agents such as aspirin, clopidogrel, and so forth.
• One limitation of the research synthesized was short durations of study. Statins are usually used long-term. Looking forward, the anti-inflammatory effects of statins would best be examined via studies with longer durations—especially in the case of lower-intensity statins.