Influence of atorvastatin in depressive symptoms in patients with cerebral infarction

Abstract

Objective To determine whether atorvastatin will induce depressive symptoms in patients with cerebral infarction. Methods The clinical data of 404 patients with large artery atherosclerotic cerebral infarction, admitted to our hospital from June 2009 to December 2010, were clinically analyzed; these patients were divided into common treatment group (atorvastatin ([7.72±3.01])mg/d,n=151) and intensive lipid lowering group (atorvastatin [18.58±9.93] mg/d,n=201) and control group (n=52); 189 males and 163 females accepted lipid-lowering treatment.Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) was employed before treatment and 3 months after the treatment and statistical analysis was performed on their scores. Results No significant deviation in scores of HAMD before and after treatment was noted in these patients (P＞0.05).No significant deviation in scores of HAMD was noted neither between intensive lipid lowering group and control group,nor between common treatment group and control group (P＞0.05). No significant deviation in HAMD was observed between the treatment groups with mild/no depression symptoms and control group (P＞0.05).The scores of HAMD in female patients were significantly higher than that in male patients 3 months after treatment (P＜0.05),but no significant deviations in the level of cholesterol, the lowering degree of cholesterol and the dosage of atorvastatin were observed between female and male patients (P＞0.05). Conclusion The lipid-lowering treatment with atorvastatin will not induce depressive symptoms in patients with cerebral infarction.The depressive symptoms of female is not related with the level of cholesterol,the lowering degree of cholesterol and the dosage ofatorvastatin. Key words: Cerebral infarction; Depression; Atorvastatin