NEW YORK — November 23, 2010 — Contrary to widespread belief, patients with abnormal liver function who are given long-term statin treatment do not face an increased risk of liver disease, according to a study published online first and appearing in an upcoming print issue of The Lancet.

In fact, statins can improve liver function in patients with abnormal liver tests. Moreover, this study is the first to show a substantially greater cardiovascular benefit in patients with abnormal liver function tests compared with patients who have normal liver tests.

These findings suggest that statins are a safe and promising treatment strategy for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

A rare adverse effect of statin use is increased levels of liver enzymes or serum transaminases like alanine aminotransferase (ALT). As a result, many physicians are reluctant to prescribe statins to patients with elevated ALT.

The safety and efficacy of long-term statin treatment in patients with NAFLD is unclear. Previous small and short-term studies in patients with raised ALT levels because of NAFLD have suggested that they are safe and improve liver tests and liver histology.

To provide more evidence, Vasilis Athyros, MD, Hippokration University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, and Dimitri Mikhailidis, MD, University College London, London, […]