Statin use protective for chronic rhinosinusitis in a nationally representative sample of the United States

Objectives/hypothesis: Statins have long been used in the management of cardiovascular disease for their lipid-lowering properties. However, recent research suggests that statins may also have anti-inflammatory effects via modulation of lipid-containing enzymes and mediators, and therefore may have therapeutic value in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Study design: Retrospective database review.

Methods: The 2006 to 2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) data were queried to analyze the relationship between statin use and rates of CRS. CRS was indicated by the presence of an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code for CRS in one of the five diagnosis variables. Statin use was indicated by the presence of a statin medication in any of the 30 medication variables using the Multum Lexicon Drug Database, with newly prescribed medications excluded. Relevant demographic, socioeconomic, and comorbid factors were included in a multivariate logistic regression model, which accounted for the complex, stratified, multistage survey design of the NAMCS.

Results: There were 390,538 unweighted visit records used in the weighted analysis dataset, corresponding to 9,612,613,668 weighted visits. Statin use was associated with a decreased rate of CRS in both a univariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] = 0.53, P < .001) and the multivariate logistic regression accounting for comorbid, socioeconomic, and demographic factors (OR = 0.79, P = .030).

Conclusions: Statin use is associated with decreased rates of CRS based on a nationally representative sample of outpatient visits in the United States. This supports research that suggests statin medications may have protective properties against CRS, and further research is warranted into their potential therapeutic value for this indication.

Level of evidence: NA Laryngoscope, 130:848-851, 2020.