Can statins reduce mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients? A retrospective cohort study

ABSTRACT

Background

We aimed to investigate the possible association between the continuation of statin treatment and the mortality, length of the ICU stay, and need for mechanical ventilation in critically ill COVID-19 cases.

Methods

This study enrolled 1860 adult patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who were critically ill. The cases’ medical records were categorized into two groups including comorbidities. The statin group included 930 patients who previously received statins and continued this treatment during ICU admission. The non-statin group included 930 patients who previously received statins but stopped taking this treatment during ICU admission. The primary endpoints were mortality and length of ICU stay. Secondary endpoints included the mechanical ventilation’s period, subsequent complications, and D-dimer and ferritin serum levels.

Results

The age, sex, comorbidities, and COVID-19 CO-RADS classification showed no significant differences between the studied groups. Among all patients who received statin and among comorbidities subgroups, mortality was significantly reduced, and the length of ICU stay was considerably prolonged in the non-survivors, but it was significantly shortened in the survivors. The duration of mechanical ventilation was prolonged in the non-survivor but shortened in the survivors. The serum ferritin level was significantly reduced among the statin group.

Conclusion

In severely ill COVID-19 cases, continuation of statin therapy during ICU admission reduces the patients’ mortality and enhances their survival. Hence, if a patient has a history of statin use, physicians should consider maintaining them on their current medication.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• statin
• mortality
• ICU stay
• ventilation

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.