Long-term Use of Statins Significantly Reduces Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk Liver Fibrosis Progression.

Joint Study by Professor Jonggi Choi of Asan Medical Center and Professor Raymond Chung of Harvard Medical School Published in a Sister Journal of ‘JAMA’

JAMA Internal Medicine, Impact Factor: 22.3

Statins, commonly used to treat hyperlipidemia, have been found to be effective in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) in patients with chronic liver disease. For patients with long-term liver diseases, such as hepatitis or fatty liver, statins are expected to become a new therapeutic option by reducing the risk of liver cancer.

▲(From left) Professor Jonggi Choi from the Division of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center and Professor Raymond Chung from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

A research team led by Professor Jonggi Choi from the Division of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center and Professor Raymond Chung from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, recently announced that long-term use of statins in patients with chronic liver disease significantly reduces the incidence of liver cancer and the progression of liver fibrosis compared to those who did not.

This study, which demonstrates the new therapeutic value of statins in the treatment of chronic liver disease, was published in the latest issue of ‘The Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine’ (JAMA Internal Medicine, Impact Factor: 22.3), one of the world’s leading journals in the field of internal medicine.

The research team used patient data from Mass General Brigham, the leading hospital network in the U.S. that is part of Massachusetts General Hospital, to analyze the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, liver failure, and progression of liver fibrosis in 16,501 patients with chronic liver disease who were taking statins.

The study subjects were adults aged 40 and older who were diagnosed with chronic liver disease between 2000 and 2023, with no prior history of liver cancer or liver failure. They were divided into two groups with 3,610 taking statins and 12,891 not taking them.

The analysis showed that the 10-year incidence of liver cancer was 3.8% in the statin group, 4.2% lower than the 8.0% observed in the non-statin group. The incidence of liver failure, which includes complications such as hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, and variceal bleeding, was also significantly lower in the statin group at 10.6%, compared to 19.5% in the non-statin group.

Notably, the effect was particularly notable with longer statin use. Patients who took statins for a cumulative period of over 600 days 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.

Progression of liver fibrosis was also slower in the statin group. Among patients with initially moderate fibrosis, only 14.7% progressed to the high-risk group within 10 years, compared to 20.0% in the non-statin group. Additionally, among those initially classified as high-risk, 31.8% in the statin group improved to a moderate stage, showing a greater improvement compared to 18.8% in the non-statin group.

Professor Jonggi Choi from the Division of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center stated, “This study is significant in that it confirmes the effectiveness of statins in preventing liver cancer and liver failure, as well as in slowing the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease, based on long-term data from a large patient population.”

He added, “There has long been a misconception that statins should not be used in patients with chronic liver disease. However, if statins can provide therapeutic benefits, their proactive use may improve long-term outcomes for these patients.”