COPD key opinion leaders have called for research into the potential of statins to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

They spoke at Clinical Consensus in COPD, in London, UK, after findings recently published in the European Respiratory Journal suggested that statin therapy almost halves COPD mortality rates.

The study was retrospective analysis and involved about 850 patients.

Peter Barnes, from Imperial College London, UK, and a member of the conference leadership committee, agreed with the speakers.

“I think you are absolutely right to identify statins as a potential pulmonary therapy. Someone’s got to go out and do a statin study in a decent number of people with COPD.”

But, he added: “Do we, in the meantime, treat everyone with these drugs? No.”

In a question and answer session following a session on comorbid manifestations of COPD, one delegate said that the focus on statins was not new.

“We started by treating lungs. Then we realized they [statins] are associated with cardiovascular disease. Now, we’re thinking that statins might help people with emphysema. So we’re back.”

Speaking to MedWire News after the conference, Barnes said that although some data suggest that statins could be useful, their mechanism of action is unknown and more rigorous studies are needed.

“There’s some data suggesting that they could be useful.

“I mean mainly epidemiological studies that have linked prescription of statins to reduced exacerbations and mortality. But I don’t think people yet understand the mechanism and whether statins will actually have an effect on the lung inflammation or whether they’re working through reducing cardiovascular complications.”

He added: “You’d have to do specific intervention trials because these epidemiological studies… may be misleading because of data selection."

Meeting website