title: Rationale for the use of statins in liver disease.
abstract: The evolution of chronic liver injuries from benign and manageable dysfunction to life threatening end-stage liver disease with severe complications renders chronic liver disease a global health burden. Because of the lack of effective medication, transplantation remains the only and final curative option for end-stage liver disease. Since the demand for organ transplants by far exceeds the supply, other treatment options are urgently required to prevent progression and improve end-stage liver disease. Statins are primarily cholesterol-lowering drugs used for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In addition to the primary effect, statins act beneficially through different pleiotropic mechanisms on inflammation, fibrosis, endothelial function, thrombosis, and coagulation to improve chronic liver diseases. However, concerns remain about the efficacy and safety of statin treatment because of their potential hepatotoxic risks, and as of now, these risks impede broader use of statins in the treatment of chronic liver diseases. The aim of this review is to comprehensively describe the mechanisms by which statins improve prospects for different chronic liver diseases with special focus on the pathophysiological rationale and the clinical experience of statin use in the treatment of liver diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schierwagen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank Erhard
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Uschner
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Magdaleno
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Bonn, Germany; jonel.trebicka@efclif.com.|Department of Medical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.|European Foundation for the Study of Chronic Liver Failure, Barcelona, Spain; and.|Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jonel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trebicka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors