Statin use in COPD patients is associated with a reduction in  mortality: a national cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether statin use is associated with reduced mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
Hospitalisation, drug dispensing, and mortality records were linked for New Zealanders aged 50-80 years discharged from  hospital with a first admission with COPD in 2006. Patients were classified according to whether or not they were prescribed statins prior  to admission. Baseline characteristics were compared and hazard ratios calculated for statin users versus statin non-users for all-cause  mortality over follow-up of up to 4 years.


RESULTS
A total of 1,687 patients (mean age 70.6 years) were followed, including 596 statin users and 1,091 non-users. There were more  men in the statin user group (58.4% vs. 48.5%), and statin users were more likely to have a history of cardiovascular disease (58.6% vs.  25.1%), prescription for frusemide as a proxy for heart failure (47.7% vs. 24.5%) or diabetes (35.4% vs.11.6%) than statin non-users  (p<0.001). A total of 671 deaths occurred during the follow-up period. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnic group, history of  cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and prescription for frusemide, the hazard ratio for statin users vs. statin non-users for all-cause mortality  was 0.69 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.84).


CONCLUSIONS
Statin use is associated with a 30% reduction in all-cause mortality at 3-4 years after first admission for COPD, irrespective  of a past history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. c.lawes@ctru.auckland.ac.nz
Carlene M M
CM
Lawes
Simon
S
Thornley
Robert
R
Young
Raewyn
R
Hopkins
Roger
R
Marshall
Wing Cheuk
WC
Chan
Gary
G
Jackson
D000368:Aged; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000401:mortality*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D019821:Simvastatin