Effect of Statins on Total Mortality in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective: The aim was to summarise the evidence from published epidemiological studies investigating the efficacy of statin therapy on long term survival in patients after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair.Data sources: This study was a systematic review with critical appraisal and meta-analysis of observational studies.Review methods: A systematic literature search was carried out throughout February 2020, revealing 14 eligible cohort studies of which 11 were judged to be of high quality. A random effects model was used to synthesise results, and heterogeneity between studies examined by subgroup and meta-regression analyses considering patient and study related variables. Small study effect was evaluated.Results: The pooled estimate showed that statin treatment among 69 790 AAA patients with a median follow up of 3.1 years was associated with a 35% relative reduction in total mortality (rate ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.57-0.73) with moderate heterogeneity (I-2 = 68%) and no small study effect.Conclusion: Evidence from this systematic review indicates a beneficial effect of statins on long term survival in patients treated by AAA repair.