Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors May Cut Risk for Liver Cancer
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, July 31, 2024 -- The use of cholesterol absorption inhibitors is associated with a reduced risk for liver cancer, according to a study published online July 29 in Cancer.
Shahriar A. Zamani, Ph.D., from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland, and colleagues examined the risk for liver cancer for five nonstatin cholesterol-lowering medications (cholesterol absorption inhibitors, bile acid sequestrants, fibrates, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids). The analysis included 3,719 cases and 14,876 matched controls.
The researchers found that cholesterol absorption inhibitor use was associated with reduced liver cancer risk in the overall analysis (odds ratio, 0.69) and when considering type 2 diabetes and chronic liver disease status. Overall, bile acid sequestrant use was associated with increased liver cancer risk (odds ratio, 5.31), but findings were inconsistent when considering type 2 diabetes and chronic liver disease status. There were no associations seen for the other medications and liver cancer risk.
"In conclusion, the current results suggest that use of cholesterol absorption inhibitors may be associated with reduced risk of liver cancer," the authors write. "Future studies are needed to confirm the results of this study and to clarify the association of all nonstatin cholesterol-lowering medications and liver cancer."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
ACP Issues Clinical Guideline for Statin Use in Persons With HIV
THURSDAY, May 29, 2025 -- In a clinical guideline issued by the American College of Physicians and published online May 27 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommendations are...
Early Combination of Lipid-Lowering Therapy Beneficial After Myocardial Infarction
MONDAY, April 28, 2025 -- For patients with myocardial infarction (MI), early oral combination lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is beneficial, according to a study published online in...
Combination Lipid-Lowering Therapy Linked to Greater Drop in LDL-C
FRIDAY, March 28, 2025 -- Combination lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is associated with a greater reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) compared with statin...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.