Authored by Ann Liu, PhD
Medically Reviewed by Brian Koffman, MDCM (retired), MSEd
The Bottom Line:
In a real-world analysis of patients with CLL treated with ibrutinib, statin use significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival.
Who Performed the Research and Where Was it Presented:
Dr. Lay She Ng from Indiana University School of Medicine and colleagues presented the results at the American Society for Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in 2025.
Background:
Ibrutinib was the first Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) approved for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) / small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). While Ibrutinib revolutionized the treatment of CLL / SLL and ushered in a new era of targeted therapies, its use is also associated with increased risk of cardiovascular side effects, including abnormal heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) and high blood pressure.
Statins are a commonly prescribed type of medication that is used to lower cholesterol levels. They also lower the risk of having a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke. For this study, researchers wanted to know if taking statins affects outcomes for patients with CLL who are being treated with ibrutinib.
Methods and Participants:
This retrospective study used de-identified data from an electronic health record database. It included patients with CLL who were treated with ibrutinib and who had either been treated with statins while on ibrutinib or who had never been treated with statins.
Results:
- A total of 2230 patients were included in each group (statin vs non-use) with a median follow-up of approximately two years.
- Statin use significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared with non-use.
- More patients in the statin group had stable disease or a partial response (26%) compared with the non-use group (13%).
- There were no differences in rates of relapsed CLL (5% in the statin group, 6% in the non-use group).
- There were no differences between groups in the rate of heart failure or atrial fibrillation.
- The statin group had higher rates of high blood lipid levels, stroke, and heart disease caused by reduced blood flow.
Conclusions:
In a real-world analysis of patients with CLL treated with ibrutinib, statin use significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival. It also did not increase the risk of atrial fibrillation or heart failure. Though there was a higher incidence of certain cardiovascular events in the statin group, this result was likely due to other underlying health conditions that prompted the initiation of statin therapy in the first place. This research suggests that in certain patients with CLL at high-risk of cardiovascular disease, statin therapy may be useful for improving patient outcomes. It augments the published study: Statin use and survival in CLL / SLL treated with ibrutinib: pooled analysis of 4 randomized controlled trials and the more general findings that statin use at the time of diagnosis reduced risk of needing therapy, as seen in this study: Influence of Statin Therapy on the Clinical Course of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. There is also research showing benefit when statins are combined with venetoclax: Statins enhance the efficacy of venetoclax in blood cancers. Together, this growing body of literature is reassuring about the safety of statins in CLL and offers the promise of their use improving outcomes.
Links and Resources:
You can read the actual ASH abstract here: Impact of statin use on outcomes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients receiving ibrutinib therapy: A real-world study
Take care of yourself first. Ann Liu, PhD
