Statin use and risk of cholecystectomy - A case-control analysis using Swiss claims data.
OBJECTIVE
Using claims data from the Helsana Group, a large Swiss health insurance provider, we examined the association between statin use and the risk of cholecystectomy in a case-control analysis.


METHODS
We identified 2,200 cholecystectomy cases between 2013 and 2014 and matched 4 controls to each case on age, sex, index date and canton. We categorized statin users into current or past users (last prescription ≤ 180 or > 180 days before the index date, respectively) and classified medication use by duration based on number of prescriptions before the index date. We applied conditional logistic regression analyses to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and adjusted the analyses for history of cardiovascular diseases and for use of estrogens, fibrates and other lipid-lowering agents.


RESULTS
The adjusted OR (aOR) for cholecystectomy was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.99) for current statin users compared to non-users. Long-term current statin use (5-19 prescriptions) was associated with a reduced OR (aOR 0.77, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.92). However, neither short-term current use nor past statin use affected the risk of cholecystectomy.


CONCLUSIONS
The study supports the previously raised hypothesis that long-term statin use reduces the risk of cholecystectomy.
a Basel Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, Division of Clinical Pharmacy and Epidemiology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland.|b Hospital Pharmacy , University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
Fabienne A
FA
Biétry
c Department of Health Sciences , Helsana Group , Zürich , Switzerland.
Oliver
O
Reich
d Institute of Pharmaceutical Medicine (ECPM) , University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
Matthias
M
Schwenkglenks
a Basel Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, Division of Clinical Pharmacy and Epidemiology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland.|b Hospital Pharmacy , University Hospital Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
Christoph R
CR
Meier
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D013557:Switzerland; D013997:Time Factors
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
Cholecystectomy; claims data; gallstone disease; risk; statins