Statins for Hyperlipidemia Shown to Prevent Liver Cancer in Chronic Liver Disease Patients

From the left in the photo, Professor Jonggi Choi of the Department of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, and Professor Raymond of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Photo by Asan Medical Center

Statins, which are widely used as medications for hyperlipidemia, have been found to be effective in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) in patients with chronic liver disease. Statins are emerging as a potential new therapeutic option for patients who have suffered from liver diseases such as hepatitis and fatty liver over an extended period, as they may reduce the risk of liver cancer.

A research team led by Professor Jonggi Choi of the Department of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, and Professor Raymond Chung of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, recently announced that patients with chronic liver disease who took statins long-term experienced a significant reduction in both the incidence of liver cancer and the progression of liver fibrosis compared to those who did not take statins.

This study, which demonstrated a new therapeutic value for statins in the treatment of chronic liver disease, was published in the latest issue of the globally renowned journal in internal medicine, JAMA Internal Medicine (impact factor 22.3).

The research team analyzed data from 16,501 patients with chronic liver disease using the patient database of Mass General Brigham, the leading hospital network in the United States that includes Massachusetts General Hospital. They examined the incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma, liver failure, and the progression of liver fibrosis according to statin use.

The study subjects were adults aged 40 or older who were diagnosed with chronic liver disease between 2000 and 2023 and had no prior history of liver cancer or liver failure. Of these, 3,610 patients took statins, while 12,891 did not.

The analysis showed that the 10-year incidence rate of liver cancer was 3.8% in the statin group, which was 4.2% lower than the 8.0% observed in the non-statin group. The incidence rate of liver failure (including hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, and variceal bleeding), which indicates deterioration of liver function, was also significantly lower in the statin group at 10.6%, compared to 19.5% in the non-statin group.

In particular, the longer statins were used, the more effective they were. Patients who took statins for a cumulative period of 600 days or more showed a reduction in the risk of liver cancer and liver failure by 4.5% and 10.4%, respectively, compared to the non-statin group.

Regarding the progression of liver fibrosis, only 14.7% of patients with early to moderate fibrosis in the statin group progressed to the high-risk group within 10 years, compared to 20.0% in the non-statin group. Furthermore, the rate at which patients in the initial high-risk group improved to moderate fibrosis was 31.8% in the statin group, showing a greater improvement effect compared to 18.8% in the non-statin group.

Professor Jonggi Choi of the Department of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, said, "This study is significant in that it confirmed, based on large-scale long-term patient data, that statins are effective in preventing liver cancer and liver failure, as well as in suppressing the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease." He added, "There has long been a misconception that statins should not be used in patients with chronic liver disease, but if therapeutic benefits can be expected, actively using statins is likely to help improve long-term outcomes for these patients."