Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Statins are recommended for treatment of dyslipidemia to reduce the overall cardiovascular risk in patients with NAFLD. However, statin treatment was underutilized and the effect of statins on liver enzymes remained unclear in this patient population.

This study aimed to provide real-world evidence of the safety and effect of statin use in patients with NAFLD.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey study of adults with NAFLD using pooled data from the US NHANES database 2009-2018. NAFLD was defined by Fatty Liver Index (FLI) > 60 and United States Fatty Liver Index (USFLI) > 30. Multivariate regression analyses adjusted for baseline clinical and demographic characteristics were performed to compare the liver enzymes and lipid profile between statin and non-statin users.

The study included 2,533 adults with NAFLD, representing 22.6 million individuals in the US, with 27% receiving statin treatment between 2009 and 2018. The mean differences of liver enzymes for AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT between statin and non-statin users were -0.86 (p=0.539), -3.49 (p=0.042), -0.25 (p=0.913), and 0.57 (p=0.901), respectively. In individuals with NAFLD and dyslipidemia, total cholesterol and LDL levels were significantly lower in statin users compared to non-statin users (mean difference, -28.9; p<0.001 and -27.7; p<0.001).

The use of statins was not associated with elevated liver enzymes in patients with NAFLD. Significantly lower levels of ALT, total cholesterol, and LDL were observed in statin users compared to non-statin users.