The Effects of Statins on Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Primary Prevention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Statins are well-established for their treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to their cholesterol lowering effects and potential anti-inflammatory properties. Although previous systematic reviews demonstrate that statins reduce inflammatory biomarkers in the secondary prevention of CVD, none examine their effects on cardiac and inflammatory biomarkers in a primary prevention setting.Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effects of statins on cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers among individuals without established CVD. The biomarkers included are: cardiac troponin, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) and endothelin1 (ET-1). A literature search was performed through Ovid MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL Plus for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published up to June 2021.Results Overall, 35 RCTs with 26,521 participants were included in our meta-analysis. Data was pooled using random effects models presented as standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Combining 36 effect sizes from 29 RCTs, statin use resulted in a significant reduction in CRP levels (SMD-0.61; 95% CI-0.91,-0.32; P<0.001). This reduction was observed for both hydrophilic (SMD-0.39; 95% CI-0.62,-0.16; P<0.001) and lipophilic statins (SMD-0.65; 95% CI-1.01,-0.29; P<0.001). There were no significant changes in serum concentrations of cardiac troponin, NT-proBNP, TNF-a, IL-6, sVCAM, sICAM, sE-selectin and ET-1.Conclusion This meta-analysis demonstrates that statin use reduces serum CRP levels in a primary prevention setting for CVD, with no clear effect on the other eight biomarkers studied.