Medications commonly prescribed to treat high cholesterol may improve outcomes among patients with cirrhosis linked to hepatitis C or B, according to a study published in the journal Hepatology.
For the study, researchers assessed health data for 1,350 cirrhotic patients compiled in a database of health insurance beneficiaries in Taiwan between 2000 and 2013. Statin use among these individuals was associated with a decreased likelihood of liver failure and mortality.
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"The study demonstrates a favorable outcome that should be re-confirmed by future prospective and large-scaled studies," said senior author Ching-Liang Lu, MD, a physician in the division of gastroenterology Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. "Moreover, future investigations should also explore whether the favorable effect of statin use can also be extended to cirrhosis due to other causes, such as alcohol."
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