Statins for the Treatment of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis-C Patients

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease and the leading indication for liver transplantation worldwide. Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) leads to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Statins have gained attention for their pleiotropic effects. There is mounting evidence that statins offer chemoprevention against many malignancies. The aim of this was to determine the efficacy of the statin for the treatment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients. Methodology: A randomized control trial was conducted at Hepatitis Clinic, People Medical College Hospital, Nawabshah from August 20, 2020, to February 20, 2021. Non-probability, consecutive sampling was adapted. Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection and liver fibrosis were included. Group-A was administered statins in addition to antiviral treatment while Group-B was given anti-viral medications only. Stages of fibrosis were determined by shear wave elastography at the start of the study and after 6 months. All the data were entered and analyzed in Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) v25.0. Results: There were 73 patients in each group. Fibrosis progression occurred in 7(9.6%) patients in group-A and 23(31.5%) in group-A. The link between the efficacy of the treatment given with the group-A and group-B was significant with a p-value of 0.001. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate a significant reduction in the risk of fibrosis progression among statin users with advanced chronic hepatitis C. These results support a possible role for statins in the prevention of liver disease progression.