Medications and “Risk” of Aneurysm Rupture Based on Presentation: Setting the Record Straight

Abstract

Studies assessing aneurysm rupture "risk" based on comparative retrospective analyses of medications taken on presentation may be subject to presentation bias. Are patients with ruptured aneurysms simply less likely to be taking medications than those with unruptured aneurysms? A retrospective chart review was conducted among patients with treated aneurysms from June 2016 to July 2023. A step-wise comparison of demographics, clinical characteristics (rupture status), and medications taken upon presentation was performed between ruptured and unruptured cases. One thousand three hundred eleven patients with intracranial aneurysms were included. The majority of patients presenting with ruptured aneurysms took no medications (68%), in contrast to 22% with unruptured aneurysms (P<0.001). The majority of patients with unruptured aneurysms took 2-5 medications (51%), in contrast to 15% of patients with ruptured aneurysms taking 2-5 medications (P<0.001). Twelve percent of patients with unruptured aneurysms took more than 5 medications, while only 1% with ruptured aneurysms did (P<0.001). Thirty-five different medications were associated with unruptured presentation, including all evaluated antiplatelet agents, anti-hypertensives, antacids, pulmonary inhalers, and psychiatric medications (P<0.05); no medications were associated with rupture on presentation. One cannot derive conclusions about medications and "risk" of rupture based on analyses at the time of presentation. This study identifies 35 different medications that were statistically significant and associated with an unruptured presentation; it is doubtful that each is "protective" against aneurysm rupture.