Editorial: Statins for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Expanding the Scope of Prevention

In addition to cholesterol depletion, statins also significantly decrease systemic inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein. In this issue of American Journal of Gastroenterology, Ungaro et al. present their results on the associations between statin prescriptions and risk of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Using a national medical claims and pharmacy database created by Symphony Health Solutions LLC (SHA), they show that any use of statin is protective against diagnosis of CD and UC. The protective effect against CD appears strongest among older populations (>60 years old). These findings offer intriguing insights into inflammatory pathways that could be modulated by cholesterol lowering drugs. In addition, if replicated in other cohorts, these results provide further rationale for investigating the use of statins in broader preventive efforts, including healthy patients at risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease.