Effect of Statin Therapy on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Growth Rate and Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: The aim of this study is to explore the effects of statin therapy with the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) growth rate and mortality.

Methods: Databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were investigated for eligible literatures from their establishments to May 2019. Included studies were selected according to precise eligibility criteria. Statistical analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3 software.

Results: Fourteen studies with a total of 38,749 patients of whom 15,993 underwent statins treatment and 22,756 underwent placebo or conventional therapy were eligible for meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that the statin use was related to a significantly lower AAA growth rate (mean difference = -1.5 mm/year, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.99 to -1.02, P < 0.00001). In addition, statins can significantly reduce the short-term mortality (in-hospital or 30 days) (odds ratio = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.56-0.7, P < 0.00001) and long-term mortality (1 year after surgery) after AAA repair (odds ratio = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.61-0.74, P < 0.00001).

Conclusions: This meta-analysis revealed that statin therapy can reduce the risks of AAA growth rates and mortality. However, due to its significant heterogeneity in the included studies, the consequence should be understood with caution.