Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) remain associated with high morbidity and mortality, and no pharmacologic therapy has consistently reduced aneurysm progression. A population-based cohort study, published in Circulation, assessed whether statin use influenced AAA growth rate and clinical outcomes in men with screening-detected aneurysms.

The analysis included 998 men (median age 69.5 years; median AAA diameter 35.4 mm) from the Viborg Vascular Screening trial (2008–2011) and the Danish Cardiovascular Screening trial (2014–2018). Researchers quantified statin exposure using defined daily doses (DDD) and assessed outcomes with national registry data. Statin use correlated with slower AAA growth, as each additional daily DDD reduced growth rate by −0.22 mm/year (95% CI, −0.39 to −0.06; P=0.009). High-dose statins also lowered the 5-year risk of aneurysm repair, with a hazard ratio of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.70–0.97; P=0.023). Statin use reduced the composite endpoint of surgery, rupture, or all-cause death in a dose-dependent manner (HR 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73–0.94; P=0.003).

The study concluded that high-dose statin therapy was associated with slower AAA progression and reduced risk of repair, rupture, and death.