Evidence mapPaperPMID 33333472Full record

ReviewMedical hypotheses2021

Statins and PCSK9 inhibitors: What is their role in coronavirus disease 2019?

Fotios Barkas, Haralampos Milionis, Georgia Anastasiou, Evangelos Liberopoulos

Open access · greenAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Medical hypotheses, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
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  6. Prognostic Value of Non-HDL Cholesterol in COVID-19 Pneumonia.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2023
    Article
  7. Distinct Features of Vascular Diseases in COVID-19.Journal of inflammation research · 2023
    Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Lipid rafts as viral entry routes and immune platforms: A double-edged sword in SARS-CoV-2 infection?Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular and cell biology of lipids · 2022
    Review
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Possible mechanisms of cholesterol elevation aggravating COVID-19.International journal of medical sciences · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Fotios BarkasDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Greece.
Haralampos MilionisDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Greece.
Georgia AnastasiouDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Greece.
Evangelos LiberopoulosDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: elibero@uoi.gr.
University of Ioannina · GR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors interfere with several pathophysiological pathways of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Statins may have a direct antiviral effect on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by inhibiting its main protease. Statin-induced up-regulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) may also be beneficial, whereas cholesterol reduction might significantly suppress SARS-CoV-2 by either blocking its host-cell entry through the disruption of lipid rafts or by inhibiting its replication. Available human studies have shown beneficial effects of statins and PCSK9 inhibitors on pneumonia and sepsis. These drugs may act as immunomodulators in COVID-19 and protect against major complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and cytokine release syndrome. Considering their antioxidative, anti-arrhythmic, antithrombotic properties and their beneficial effect on endothelial dysfunction, along with the increased risk of mortality of patients at high cardiovascular risk infected by SARS-CoV-2, statins and PCSK9 inhibitors might prove effective against the cardiovascular and thromboembolic complications of COVID-19. On the whole, randomized clinical trials are needed to establish routine use of statins and PCSK9 inhibitors in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the meantime, it is recommended that lipid-lowering therapy should not be discontinued in COVID-19 patients unless otherwise indicated.

Indexed as

COVID-19 Drug TreatmentPCSK9 InhibitorsAntiviral AgentsCardiovascular DiseasesCOVID-19Endothelium, VascularHumansHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsImmunity, InnateModels, BiologicalPandemicsPneumonia, ViralProprotein Convertase 9SafetySARS-CoV-2SepsisAntiviral AgentsHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsPCSK9 InhibitorsPCSK9 protein, humanProprotein Convertase 9Serine Proteinase InhibitorsCoronavirusInfectionPCSK9 inhibitorsSARS-CoV-2SepsisStatin

Identifiers

PMID33333472
PMCPMC7724447
OpenAlexW3112816638

What Socratic holds

Texttitle and abstract
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.