Closing
Do statins improve liver & MASLD versus placebo?
Mostly studied in coronary & atherosclerotic disease. Also asked against other treatments.
Not modeled yetTrial evidence exists, but no mechanistic model yetWithout a model there is no decisive experiment to propose. Help build it. →
Where the evidence stands
Unlikely. So far, the results disagree.
NoUnsureYes
- Belief
- 0.00 (range 0.00–0.55)
- Trials for
- 0
- Trials against
- 1
- Inconclusive
- 2
Already under way
- OPtimal Medical Strategy for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Treated With Drug-eluting Stents: Enhancing Outcomes With antiPlatelet and Lipid-lowering…NCT07432516 · not yet recruiting · started 2026
- Effects of Bempedoic Acid/Ezetimibe/High-intensity Statin on Plaque Regression and Stabilisation of Coronary Atherosclerosis Among Patients Without…NCT07474649 · not yet recruiting · started 2026
- Utilizing Lipid-lowering Therapy With Moderate-intensity Statin Plus Ezetimibe in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients With Concomitant Atherosclerotic…NCT07524101 · recruiting · started 2026
- A Prospective, Exploratory, Cohort Clinical Study Comparing the Effects of Oral Statins With or Without Folic Acid on Carotid Plaque Stability.NCT07680595 · recruiting · started 2026
- Does PCSK9 Inhibitor on Top of High Intensity Statin Impact Liver Steatosis Assessed by FibroScan in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary…NCT07736313 · not yet recruiting · started 2026
The evidence so far
- Registered trials
- 86
- With posted results
- 16
- Published papers
- 10
Of 11 decided analyses: 0 favor statins, 9 find no difference, 2 favor the comparator.
Papers
- Adverse events associated with individual statin treatments for cardiovascular disease: an indirect comparison meta-analysis.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2012
- Dissecting the multifaceted impact of statin use on fatty liver disease: a multidimensional study.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2023
- Effect of statin therapy on cardiovascular and renal outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2013
- What proportion of symptomatic side effects in patients taking statins are genuinely caused by the drug? Systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled trials to aid individual patient choice.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2014
- Statins for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults: Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2016
- Statin use and risk of HCC in patients with MASLD and T2DM: an umbrella review and meta-analysis.Meta-analysis / systematic review · 2025
Trials
- A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group Study to Evaluate Low Doses of the MTP-Inhibitor AEGR-733 on Hepatic Fat Accumulation as Measured by Magnetic Resonance SpectroscopyNCT00559962 · 8 posted results
- A Phase III Multicenter, Double-Blind, Crossover Design Study to Evaluate Lipid-Altering Efficacy and Safety of Extended-Release Niacin/Laropiprant/Simvastatin Combination Tablet in Patients With Primary Hypercholesterolemia or Mixed DyslipidemiaNCT01294683 · 5 posted results
- A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Group, 12 Week Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of MK0524B Versus Atorvastatin in Patients With Mixed HyperlipidemiaNCT00289900 · 3 posted results
- Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV - REPRIEVENCT02344290 · 2 posted results
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Pravastatin to Prevent Preeclampsia in High Risk WomenNCT03944512 · 1 posted result
- An Randomized Open Label Trial on the Impact of 24 Weeks of Atorvastatin Therapy on Liver Fat Content and Abdominal Fat Content in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Combined With High LDL-C and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseNCT01720719
- A Randomized Comparison of Low-dose Versus High-dose Rosuvastatin on Optical Coherence Tomography Based Early Vascular Healing for Patients With Acute Coronary SyndromeNCT03007524
- A Prospective, Exploratory, Cohort Clinical Study Comparing the Effects of Oral Statins With or Without Folic Acid on Carotid Plaque Stability.NCT07680595