Global 
Deutschland 
Italia Esophagus to Small Intestine
J Crohns Colitis. 2026;20(3):jjag034
Statin use is associated with lower rates of stricture development in patients with Crohn’s disease: A propensity score-matched study of two nationwide population databases
Background: Intestinal stricture affects over half of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and has significant associated morbidity. Statins possess both anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties and may improve CD outcomes, although current data are limited. This study assessed whether statin use is associated with a reduced risk of new stricture development in CD in a diverse US population, and evaluated the role of IBD therapy in any association.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing patients with CD with and without statin exposure using the EVERSANA US electronic health records database. Findings were independently validated in a second database (Merative MarketScan). Patient demographics, co-morbidities, laboratory measurements, and CD medications were assessed. The primary outcome was development of new stricture as defined by a composite endpoint of an encounter for stricture diagnosis or occurrence of a stricture-related procedure. Propensity score (PS)-matched Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations.
Results: The EVERSANA cohort comprised 1210 statin recipients and 25,000 non-statin users. Over a mean follow-up of 3.8 years, PS-matched statin users had a 28% reduction in the risk of new-onset stricture (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53–0.99, p = 0.043). The Merative cohort contained 9577 statin users and 56,918 non-statin users. Over a mean follow-up of 3.6 years, PS-matched statin use had a 29% risk reduction in new-onset stricture (HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.66–0.77, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Statin use is independently associated with reduced progression to stricture formation in two PS-matched large and diverse cohorts of patients with CD.