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Statins and associated risk of pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

  • Pharmacoepidemiology and Prescription
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Abstract

Purpose

Statins have potential anti-inflammatory effects, but the association between statin use and lower incidence of pneumonia is unclear. We have therefore performed a systematic review on the risk of pneumonia in statin users versus non-users.

Methods

MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched in December 2010 for controlled observational studies that reported on the risk of pneumonia in statin users. We performed a random effects meta-analysis and assessed heterogeneity using the I2 statistic.

Results

A total of 451 citations were screened, and ultimately nine studies (4 case–control, 4 retrospective cohort, 1 prospective cohort) with more than 3 million participants were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis of seven studies that reported unadjusted data failed to show a significantly reduced risk of pneumonia [odds ratio (OR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84–1.06, p = 0.33, I2 = 79%] in statin users as compared to non-users. However, a significant reduction in the likelihood of pneumonia associated with statin use (n = 8 studies, OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.75–0.97, p = 0.02, I2 = 81%) was found in the meta-analysis of adjusted data. Both analyses were limited by substantial statistical heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis failed to fully clarify the source of heterogeneity, but cohort studies seemed to be less heterogenous (n = 5 studies, OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.84–1.01, I2 = 43%).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that the purported benefit of statins in preventing pneumonia is inconsistent, and of low magnitude, with upper bounds of the confidence interval being close to null. In view of the substantial statistical and clinical heterogeneity in the dataset, there is no convincing evidence to support the therapeutic application of statins for reducing the risk of pneumonia.

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Acknowledgments

There was no funding source for this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Contributors

CSK, YKL and SS conceptualised the review and developed the protocol. CSK, JKY, RT, YKL, RC and SS abstracted data. CSK and YKL wrote the manuscript. Data was analysed by CSK and YKL. YKL will act as the guarantor for the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK

    Chun Shing Kwok, Jessica Ka-Yan Yeong & Yoon Kong Loke

  2. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UY, UK

    Richard M. Turner

  3. Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA

    Rodrigo Cavallazzi

  4. Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA

    Sonal Singh

Authors
  1. Chun Shing Kwok
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  2. Jessica Ka-Yan Yeong
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  3. Richard M. Turner
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  4. Rodrigo Cavallazzi
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  5. Sonal Singh
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  6. Yoon Kong Loke
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Correspondence to Yoon Kong Loke.

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Kwok, C.S., Yeong, J.KY., Turner, R.M. et al. Statins and associated risk of pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 68, 747–755 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-011-1159-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-011-1159-4

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