Statin Use Is Associated with Reduced Mortality in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease

PLoS One. 2015 Oct 16;10(10):e0140571. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140571. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Introduction: We hypothesized that statin use begun before the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease is associated with reduced mortality.

Methods: We studied all patients diagnosed with interstitial lung disease in the entire Danish population from 1995 through 2009, comparing statin use versus no statin use in a nested 1:2 matched study.

Results: The cumulative survival as a function of follow-up time from the date of diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (n = 1,786 + 3,572) and idiopathic lung fibrosis (n = 261 + 522) was higher for statin users versus never users (log-rank: P = 7 · 10(-9) and P = 0.05). The median survival time in patients with interstitial lung disease was 3.3 years in statin users and 2.1 years in never users. Corresponding values in patients with idiopathic lung fibrosis were 3.4 versus 2.4 years. After multivariable adjustment, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality for statin users versus never users was 0.73 (95% confidence interval, 0.68 to 0.79) in patients with interstitial lung disease and 0.76 (0.62 to 0.93) in patients with idiopathic lung fibrosis. Results were robust in all sensitivity analyses.

Conclusion: Among patients with interstitial lung disease statin use was associated with reduced all-cause mortality.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Denmark
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / drug therapy
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / mortality
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / drug therapy*
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / mortality*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals, Copenhagen University Hospital (http://www.herlevhospital.dk), University of Copenhagen (http://healthsciences.ku.dk), and the Lundbeck Foundation, Denmark (http://www.lundbeckfonden.com). All authors received funding from Herlev and Gentofte Hospitals, Copenhagen University Hospital, SVK received funding from the University of Copenhagen, and BGN received funding from the Lundbeck Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.