Intensified LDL-c Target Of Statin Therapy And Cancer Risk: A Meta- Analysis

Objectives:To investigate the relationship between an intensified low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) target of statin therapy and cancer risk.Methods:PUBMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) data as of September 2014 were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on statins. An intensified LDL-c target of <2.59 mmol/L (100 mg/dl) or a relative LDL-c reduction by at least 30% of the baseline was the primary criterion for all the trials that were included in the meta-analysis. The I2 statistic was used to measure heterogeneity among the trials, and risk estimates were calculated for incident cancer with random-effect meta-analysis.Results:Nine eligible studies were identified with 59571 participants,5379 of whom (2691 were given statins and 2688 were given control treatment) developed cancer during the follow-up period. The intensified LDL-c target of statin therapy showed no effect on cancer incidence (risk ratio (RR) 1.00,95% CI 0.95-1.06, I2=1.5%, p=0.421), including some common cancer. Subgroup analysis showed that neither the chemical properties nor the variety class of the statins accounted for the residual variation in risk.Conclusions:The intensified LDL-c target of statin therapy has no effect on the overall incidence of cancer, including some common cancer. Thus, such an intensified statin therapy need not be changed among adult clinical patients.