Routine statins use is associated with less adverse outcome in patients above 70 years of age admitted to hospital with COVID-19

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can lead to multiorgan insufficiency and death, particularly among the older adults. Statins have been suggested as potentially protective drugs due to their pleotropic effects, but the actual benefit of statin use among the older population in this setting is not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between preadmission statin use and the presentation and clinical outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients older than 70 years of age. Methods A historical cohort study of all patients above 70 years of age who were hospitalized with COVID-19 infection in a large academic hospital between March and August 2020 was performed. The association between preadmission statin use and patients’ presentation and adverse outcome was studied. Adverse outcome was defined as any of the following: shock, invasive or non-invasive ventilation, organ insufficiency, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, in-hospital or 30-day post-admission mortality, hospital stay longer than the median length of stay of all COVID-19 patients, referral to nursing home or rehabilitation center. Results Seventy-two (44%) of the 163 studied patients (median age 82 years, 45% males) had been preadmission treated with statins. The statin-treated patients (STP) had a higher prevalence of diabetes (40% vs 24%, p = 0.028) and cardiovascular disease (58% vs. 34%, p = 0.002). Seventy two percent of the STP had adverse outcome, compared to 86% of the non-STP ( p = 0.033). After adjustment for potential confounders, prior statin use was associated with decreased risk for an adverse outcome (odds ratio = 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0.18–0.92, p = 0.03). Conclusions The preadmission use of statins was associated with a lower risk of adverse outcome in older adults hospitalized with COVID-19. Continuation of statin treatment might be implemented for risk reduction of adverse outcomes in the older population in the era of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and less effective vaccines.