Editorial: Statins and Liver Disease: Is it Time to Recommend Statins to Prevent Liver Disease Progression?

Evidence is emerging that statins may reduce liver-related adverse outcomes in individuals with chronic liver disease. In this issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Kamal et al. found in their meta-analysis that statin use was associated with a reduced risk of fibrosis progression, decompensated cirrhosis, and mortality. These encouraging findings suggest beneficial liver effects of statins. However, the overall quality of the evidence is low because 9 of the 10 studies included in the meta-analysis were observational. More robust studies, including randomized trials and research on safety in patients with advanced liver disease, are needed before statins can be routinely recommended for prevention of liver-related morbidity and mortality.