Statins decrease portal pressure in patients with cirrhosis and increase survival times of patients who have bled from varices. However, statins can be hepatotoxic. It is important to determine whether long-term statin use will be beneficial or detrimental for patients with cirrhosis because physicians are reluctant to prescribe statins to patients with liver disease. We investigated the effects of statins on decompensation and survival times in patients with compensated cirrhosis.