Photo Credit: Sittithat Tangwitthayaphum

Statin therapy has a beneficial effect in patients with MASH and decompensated cirrhosis being evaluated for liver transplant, researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology. Katherine M. Cooper, MD, and colleagues evaluated 623 patients with cirrhosis related to MASH and other causes; 24% had MASH cirrhosis, and 20% were prescribed a statin. Those taking statins were older, had higher BMI, and were more likely to have coronary artery disease. Statin use was associated with reduced mortality among patients with MASH (P=0.01) and higher mortality among those with cirrhosis due to other causes. After controlling for age (P=0.039), MELD-Na (P<0.001), BMI (P<0.001), and coronary artery disease (non-significant P), statin use conferred a 53% lower risk for death versus no statin use in MASH-related cirrhosis (P=0.043). The study findings “underscore the importance of reviewing individual patient characteristics and disease etiology when considering the benefits of statin therapy in patients with cirrhosis,” Dr. Cooper and colleagues wrote.