Besides regulating lipid, statins can inhibit inflammatory response, improve the function of endothelial cells, and protect intestinal mucosal barrier. Therefore, it can be used to relieve the clinical symptoms of acute pancreatitis, shorten the course of treatment, and improve the prognosis, and can play an important role in treatment. With the wide application of statins, their adverse effects are gradually being recognized, including acute pancreatitis. The World Health Organization database lists a variety of statins that can cause acute pancreatitis, but related mechanisms remain unknown. In view of the contradictory results mentioned above, this article reviews the current status, mechanisms of action, and roles of statins in acute pancreatitis and points out that further double-blind trials are needed to investigate the association between statins and acute pancreatitis.