Statin Use and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a public health problem around the world. Several studies have investigated the association between statin use and the risk of HCC, however, more studies are needed in this field.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between statin use and HCC risk.

Methods: Systematic searches of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and Embase were conducted for studies published between 1980 and September 2023. Meta-analyses were performed using Stata 15 with a significance level of 0.05.

Results: The search retrieved 8,125 articles, of which 40 were included in the meta-analysis after applying eligibility criteria. The total sample was 5,732,948 participants, including 68,698 HCC cases. Statin use was associated with a 44% lower risk of HCC compared to non-use (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.50-0.63, p < 0.001). The RR was 0.54 (0.42-0.69) in American countries, 0.52 (0.44-0.62) in Asian countries, and 0.63 (0.48-0.84) in European countries. The RR was 0.50 (0.42-0.60) in studies with a mean age <50 years and 0.61 (0.53-0.70) in studies with a mean age ≥50 years. No evidence of publication bias was found (Begg's test p = 0.718).

Conclusion: This meta-analysis found statin use is associated with a significantly lower HCC risk. Statins may be a promising preventive intervention against HCC.