Is statin therapy safe in patients with HIV/hepatitis C coinfection?

Statins are effective therapy for hypercholesterolemia and are commonly indicated in patients with HIV and hepatitis C virus infections. Unfortunately, in patients coinfected with these viruses, the safety of statins has not been conclusively evaluated. We retrospectively evaluated five coinfected patients in our outpatient clinic who received statin therapy. Although the sample size was small, we found that statins were safe in this population and recommend that further evaluation with a prospective controlled trial be undertaken to definitively answer this safety issue.