Statins tied to survival in new heart failure inpatients in Hong Kong
Statin use was associated with lower cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization risk versus non-use, with hazard ratios of 0.69 and 0.68 across inflammation groups.
Limit: Covered hospitalized patients in Hong Kong, not all people with heart failure
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In an observational cohort study, researchers analyzed 25,786 Hong Kong patients hospitalized with newly diagnosed heart failure. Their mean age was 77.9 years; 48.6% were men. Researchers compared statin users, defined by at least 90 consecutive days of use after diagnosis, with non-users in a matched cohort totaling 6,780 patients.
Elevated C-reactive protein, a blood marker of inflammation, was present in 40% of eligible patients and was associated with poorer outcomes. Statin use was associated with lower cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization risk. Hazard ratios—relative measures of risk over time—were 0.69 with normal marker levels and 0.68 with elevated levels. Corresponding hazard ratios for death from any cause were 0.45 and 0.43. Among patients with elevated levels, longer statin use was associated with progressively greater reductions in cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization.
Why it matters
For this older population hospitalized with newly diagnosed heart failure, the study addressed whether links between statin use and outcomes varied with inflammation levels and treatment duration. The researchers called for further evaluation in randomized trials.
Caveats
This observational study could not establish that statins caused the better outcomes. It covered patients hospitalized with newly diagnosed heart failure in Hong Kong, not all people with heart failure.
The paper
Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital; The University of Hong Kong
ESC Congress 2026 Abstract, Oct 26, 2026
Presented at ESC Congress 2026
