Intensified low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol target of statin therapy and cancer risk: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between an intensified low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) target of statin therapy and cancer risk. METHODS: Data from PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials as of September 2014 were searched for randomized controlled trials 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 this meta-analysis. The I(2) statistic was used to measure heterogeneity among the trials, and risk estimates were calculated for cancer incidence in this random-effect meta-analysis. RESULTS: Nine eligible studies were identified with 59,571 participants, of whom 5379 developed cancer during the follow-up period (2691 were given statins and 2688 were given control treatment). The intensified LDL-c target of statin therapy did not affect cancer incidence (odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.94 - 1.06; I(2) = 1.6%, p = 0.42), which included some common cancers. Subgroup analysis showed that neither the chemical properties nor the variety of the statins accounted for the residual variation in risk. CONCLUSIONS: The intensified LDL-c target of statin therapy had no effect on the overall incidence of cancer, including some common cancers. Therefore, intensified statin therapy does not need to be changed among adult clinical patients.