PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Juan Antonio Franco-Peláez
AU  - Laura Esteban-Lucia
AU  - María de los Ángeles Zambrano Chacón
AU  - Ana María Pello-Lázaro
AU  - Ana María Venegas Rodriguez
AU  - Luis Nieto Roca
AU  - Camila Sofia García-Talavera
AU  - Andrea Kallmeyer Mayor
AU  - Felipe Villar Alvarez
AU  - Ricardo Fernandez Roblas
AU  - Oscar Gonzalez-Lorenzo
AU  - José Tuñón
AU  - Borja Ibañez
AU  - Alvaro Aceña
TI  - Statin use is associated with reduced mortality after respiratory viral infection
AID  - 10.1183/23120541.00365-2020
DP  - 2021 Jan 01
TA  - ERJ Open Research
PG  - 00365-2020
VI  - 7
IP  - 1
4099  - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/7/1/00365-2020.short
4100  - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/7/1/00365-2020.full
SO  - erjor2021 Jan 01; 7
AB  - Background Several studies suggest that statins, besides reducing cardiovascular disease, have anti-inflammatory properties which might provide a benefit in downregulating the immune response after a respiratory viral infection (RVI) and, hence, decreasing subsequent complications. We aim to analyse the effect of statins on mortality after RVI.Methods A single-centre, observational and retrospective study was carried out including all adult patients with a RVI confirmed by PCR tests from October 2, 2017 to May 20, 2018. Patients were divided between statin users and non-statin users and followed-up for 1 year, and all causes of death were recorded. In order to analyse the effect of statin treatment on mortality after RVI we planned two different approaches, a multivariate Cox regression model with the overall population and a univariate Cox model with a propensity-score matched population.Results We included 448 patients, 154 (34.4%) of whom were under statin treatment. Statin users had a worse clinical profile (older population with more comorbidities). During the 1-year follow-up, 67 patients died, 17 (11.0%) in the statin group and 50 (17.1%) in the non-statin group. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that statins were associated with mortality benefit (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.26–0.83; p=0.01). In a matched population (101 statins users and 101 non-statins users) statins also remained associated with mortality benefit (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.14–0.72; p=0.006). Differences were mainly driven by non-cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.13–0.73; p=0.004).Conclusions Chronic statin treatment was associated with reduced 1-year mortality in patients with laboratory-confirmed RVI. Further studies are needed to determine the exact role of statin therapy after RVI.Statin treatment is associated with reduced 1-year mortality after respiratory viral infections, despite the higher risk profile of patients on statins. Statins seem a good candidate to be tested during the current global pandemic. https://bit.ly/36t0tDh