Statin Use After Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Is Associated With Decreased Mortality.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Statin use is associated with a lower risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is unclear whether postdiagnosis statin use is associated with a reduced risk of death in patients with HCC.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 15,422 patients with HCC in the Veterans Administration Central Cancer Registry, diagnosed from 2002 through 2016. We identified statin prescriptions that were filled before and after the cancer diagnosis and used time-dependent Cox regression models to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for risk of death. We used a time-varying exposure to avoid immortal time bias, and a 3-month lag (following up patients from 3 months after the cancer diagnosis) to reduce reverse causation. A

SUBMITTER: Thrift AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6612541 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature