Statin Treatment in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Background and purpose

We aimed to investigate the association of statin treatment with outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods

Over a 4.5-year period (starting November 2007), 12 781 patients (mean age, 72·8 ± 12·6 years; 48·6% women) with acute ischemic stroke from 15 hospitals in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, were enrolled in a population-based study and prospectively evaluated.

The primary outcomes were the mortality during hospitalization and the disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≥2) at discharge from hospital. The secondary outcomes were the mortality and disability at three-months after discharge.

Results

A total of 7535 patients (59%) with acute ischemic stroke were treated with statins. During hospitalization (mean, nine-days), the in-hospital mortality rate (4·7%; 95% confidence interval, 4·3–5·1%) was lower in patients treated with statins than in those without statins (2·3% vs. 7·9%, respectively; P < 0·001). At three-months after discharge, the mortality rate (6·9%; 95% confidence interval, 6·4–7·5%) was lower in patients treated with statins than in those without statins (5·0% vs. 10·6%, respectively; P < 0·001). Adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that statin treatment was associated with reduced rates of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 0·39; 95% confidence interval, 0·31–0·48; P < 0·001) and three-month mortality (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0·34–0·63; P < 0·001). A comparison of the patient groups revealed that patients on statins were likely to have lower disability rates at discharge (59% vs. 67%, respectively; P < 0·001) and after three-months (33% vs. 42%, respectively; P < 0·001) in patients who had survived the stroke.

Conclusion

Statin treatment may improve the outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Further studies are necessary to confirm this finding.