Statins and the risk of acute pancreatitis: a population-based case–control study

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.02728.x

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Wiley InterScience

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Volume 23 Issue 1, Pages 185 - 190

Published Online: 13 Dec 2005

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Statins and the risk of acute pancreatitis: a population-based case–control study

H. THISTED*^,†, J. JACOBSEN*, E. M. MUNK*, B. NØRGAARD*, S. FRIIS‡, J. K. McLAUGHLIN§^,¶, H. T. SØRENSEN* & S. P. JOHNSEN*^,**

*Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark ; †Department of Pharmacology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark ; ‡Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, The Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark ; §International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD, USA ; ¶Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA ; **Center for Cardiovascular Research, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark

Correspondence to H. Thisted, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Ole Worms Allé 150, Aarhus University Hospital, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
E-mail: ht@dce.au.dk

Summary

Background

Case reports have suggested that statins may cause acute pancreatitis.

Aim

To examine if statins are associated with risk of acute pancreatitis.

Methods

We identified 2576 first-time admitted cases of acute pancreatitis from hospital discharge registers in three Danish counties, and 25 817 age- and gender-matched controls from the general population. Prescriptions for statins prior to admission with acute pancreatitis or index date among controls were retrieved from prescription databases. We used conditional logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios for acute pancreatitis among ever (ever before), current (0–90 days before), new (first prescription in 0–90 days before) and former (>90 days, but not 0–90 days before) users of statins.

Results

Adjusted odds ratios for acute pancreatitis among ever, current, new and former users of statins were 1.44 (95% confidence interval: 1.115–1.80), 1.26 (95% confidence interval: 0.96–1.64), 1.01 (95% confidence interval: 0.43–2.37) and 2.02 (95% confidence interval: 1.37–2.97), respectively. There was an indication of an inverse association between the number of filled prescriptions and risk of acute pancreatitis.