Patients with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease who were prescribed moderate- to high-intensity statins had a 40% lower risk of progressing to advanced liver fibrosis compared with those who weren't prescribed statin therapy, according to a recent study.

In the cohort study, published in BMJ Open Gastroenterology, researchers assessed the association between statin prescriptions and fibrosis progression risk in patients with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) within a primary care setting. The study included 1,238 patients with MASLD who had an initial low or indeterminate risk of advanced fibrosis, evaluated using their Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) score over an average of 3.3 years. The primary outcome was the progression to a high-risk FIB-4 score (≥ 2.67). Approximately 47% of the cohort received statin prescriptions during the study period.

The researchers showed that statin users had a 40% lower risk of progressing to a high-risk FIB-4 score compared with nonusers (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45–0.80). Specifically, moderate-intensity (HR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.42–0.84) and high-intensity statin therapy (HR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.42–0.88) were associated with a reduced progression risk, whereas low-intensity statins were not significantly associated with fibrosis risk reduction.

The researchers noted that prospective studies may be warranted to better evaluate the role of statins in managing fibrosis risk among patients with MASLD. 

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.