OBJECTIVES: 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, otherwise known as statins, have well-documented success in reducing cholesterol levels, but have also gained interest for their pleiotropic effects and potential use for other indications. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), statins may provide immune modulating effects that are beneficial to lung function. The study objective is to explore the association between statins and COPD using the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset.
METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional analysis of adults aged 40 years and above who participated in 2009-2010 NHANES with a diagnosis of COPD as ascertained by guideline-defined post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC value of less than 0.7. Self-reported statin utilization data was extracted from the NHANES database. Descriptive and multinomial regression analysis were conducted using COPD severity as the outcome variable, with statin use, number of years of statin use, smoking status and respondent demographics as input variables. Statistical Analysis Software 9.4 (SAS Inc.; Cary, NC) was utilized to conduct the analysis.
RESULTS: The prevalence of COPD in the NHANES dataset was 4.28% (N= 156). A total of 52 COPD patients reported statin use, with a mean duration of use of 1.82±3.67 years. There was a statistically significant difference (p less than 0.001) in the mean age between COPD patients on statins (66.29±9.61 years) and those not on statins (59.52±10.56 years). However, there was no statistically significant difference (p= 0.45) in postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC values between patients on statins (0.53±0.08 liters) and patients not on statins (0.63±0.07 liters).
CONCLUSIONS: The results of the analysis indicate that statins have no beneficial effect on post-bronchodilator spirometry values in COPD. In the last five years, there has been a growing interest in the beneficial effects of statins in the management of COPD and more controlled studies are needed to explore this association.
