Lin CM, Yang TM, Yang YH, et al. - By performing this population-based cohort analysis, researchers assessed the link between statin use and risk of subsequent hospitalized exacerbations in COPD frequent exacerbators. They used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Participants were 139,223 patients in total who had COPD and had a first hospitalized exacerbation between 2004 and 2012. Experts noted that the risk was significantly decreased in relation to statin use among COPD patients after a first hospitalized exacerbation and in specified COPD frequent exacerbators. In subgroup analysis among frequent exacerbators, they found that statin use conferred protection against subsequent hospitalized exacerbations only in male patients aged 75 years and older, with coexisting diabetes mellitus, hypertension or cardiovascular disease, and there was no such protective effect evident among those suffering from lung cancer or depression. A greater protective effect for decreasing subsequent hospitalized exacerbation was reported in relation to the current use of statins.