Non-statin Group Research Articles

Effect of Statin Administration After Onset of Acute Ischemic Stroke With Large Vessel Occlusion: Insights From RESCUE-Japan Registry 2.

BackgroundStatins have been associated with reduced recurrence and better functional outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, the effect of statins in patients with acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) is not well scrutinized.Methods and ResultsRESCUE (Recovery by Endovascular Salvage for Cerebral Ultra‐Acute Embolism)‐Japan Registry 2, a physician‐initiated registry, enrolled 2420 consecutive patients with acute LVO who were admitted to 46 centers across Japan within 24 hours of onset. We compared patients with and without statin use after acute LVO onset (statin group and nonstatin group, respectively) in terms of the modified Rankin scale at 90 days. We estimated that the odds ratios for the primary outcome was modified Rankin scale and we estimated the odds ratios for a 1‐scale lower modified Rankin scale adjusting for confounders. After excluding 12 patients without LVO and 9 patients without follow‐up, the mean age of 2399 patients was 75.9 years; men accounted for 55% of patients. Statins were administered to 447 (19%) patients after acute LVO onset. Patients in the statin group had more atherothrombotic cerebral infarctions (34.2% versus 12.1%, P<0.0001), younger age (73.4 years versus 76.5 years, P<0.0001), and lower median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on admission (14 versus 17, P<0.0001) than the nonstatin group. The adjusted common OR of the statin group for lower modified Rankin scale was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.04–1.37; P=0.02). The mortality at 90 days was lower in the statin group (4.7%) than the nonstatin group (12.5%; P<0.0001). The adjusted OR of the statin group relative to the nonstatin group for mortality was 0.36 (95% CI, 0.21–0.62; P=0.02).ConclusionsStatin administration after acute LVO onset is significantly associated with better functional outcome and mortality at 90 days.

Association of Statin Use With the In-Hospital Outcomes of 2019-Coronavirus Disease Patients: A Retrospective Study

Background: Statins have multiple protective effects on inflammation, immunity and coagulation, and may help alleviate pneumonia. However, there was no report focusing on the association of statin use with in-hospital outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We investigated the association between the use of statins and in-hospital outcomes of patients with COVID-19.Methods: In this retrospective case series, consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted at 2 hospitals in Wuhan, China, from March 12, 2020 to April 14, 2020 were analyzed. A 1:1 matched cohort was created by propensity score-matched analysis. Demographic data, laboratory findings, comorbidities, treatments and in-hospital outcomes were collected and compared between COVID-19 patients taking and not taking statins.Result: A total of 2,147 patients with COVID-19 were enrolled in this study. Of which, 250 patients were on statin therapy. The mortality was 2.4% (6/250) for patients taking statins while 3.7% (70/1,897) for those not taking statins. In the multivariate Cox model, after adjusting for age, gender, admitted hospital, comorbidities, in-hospital medications and blood lipids, the risk was lower for mortality (adjusted HR, 0.428; 95% CI, 0.169–0.907; P = 0.029), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (adjusted HR, 0.371; 95% CI, 0.180–0.772; P = 0.008) or intensive care unit (ICU) care (adjusted HR, 0.319; 95% CI, 0.270–0.945; P = 0.032) in the statin group vs. the non-statin group. After propensity score-matched analysis based on 18 potential confounders, a 1:1 matched cohort (206:206) was created. In the matched cohort, the Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the use of statins was associated with better survival (P = 0.025). In a Cox regression model, the use of statins was associated with lower risk of mortality (unadjusted HR, 0.254; 95% CI, 0.070–0.926; P = 0.038), development of ARDS (unadjusted HR, 0.240; 95% CI, 0.087–0.657; P = 0.006), and admission of ICU (unadjusted HR, 0.349; 95% CI, 0.150–0.813; P = 0.015). The results remained consistent when being adjusted for age, gender, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, procalcitonin, and brain natriuretic peptide. The favorable outcomes in statin users remained statistically significant in the first sensitivity analysis with comorbid diabetes being excluded in matching and in the second sensitivity analysis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease being added in matching.Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis, the use of statins in COVID-19 patients was associated with better clinical outcomes and is recommended to be continued in patients with COVID-19.

Effect of statin therapy on SARS-CoV-2 infection-related mortality in hospitalized patients.

AimAssessing the effect of statin therapy at hospital admission for COVID-19 on in-hospital mortality.Methods and ResultsRetrospective observational study. Patients taking statins were 11 years older and had significantly more comorbidities than patients who were not taking statins. A genetic matching (GM) procedure was performed prior to analysis of the mortality risk. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for the cause-specific hazard (CSH) function, and a competing-risks Fine and Gray (FG) model was also used to study the direct effects of statins on risk.Data from reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed 2157 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients (1234 men, 923 women; age: 67 y/o (IQR 54-78)) admitted to the hospital were retrieved from the clinical records in anonymized manner. 353 deaths occurred. 581 patients were taking statins. Univariate test after GM showed a significantly lower mortality rate in patients on statin therapy than the matched non-statin group (19.8% vs. 25.4%, χ2 with Yates continuity correction: p = 0.027). The mortality rate was even lower in patients (n = 336) who maintained their statin treatments during hospitalization compared to the GM non-statin group (17.4%; p = 0.045). The Cox model applied to the CSH function (HR = 0.58(CI: 0.39-0.89); p = 0.01) and the competing risks FG model (HR = 0.60(CI: 0.39-0.92); p = 0.02) suggest that statins are associated with reduced COVID-19-related mortality.ConclusionsA lower SARS-CoV-2 infection-related mortality was observed in patients treated with statin therapy prior to hospitalization. Statin therapy should not be discontinued due to the global concern of the pandemic or in patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

Assessing the effectiveness of statin therapy for alleviating cerebral small vessel disease progression in people \u226575\u2009years of age

BackgroundStatins have been recommended by several guidelines as the primary prevention medication for cardiovascular diseases. However, the benefits of statin therapy for cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), particularly in adults ≥75 years of age, have not been fully evaluated.MethodsWe analyzed the data from a prospective population-based cohort study and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine whether statin therapy might aid in slowing the progression of CSVD in adults ≥75 years of age. For the cohort study, 827 participants were considered eligible and were included in the baseline analysis. Subsequently, 781 participants were included in follow-up analysis. For the clinical trial, 227 participants were considered eligible and were used in the baseline and follow-up analyses.ResultsThe white matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume, the WMH-to-intracranial volume (ICV) ratio, the prevalence of a Fazekas scale score ≥ 2, lacunes, enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), and microbleeds were significantly lower in the statin group than the non-statin group at baseline in the cohort study (all P < 0.05). During the follow-up period, in both the cohort and clinical trial studies, the WMH volume and WMH-to-ICV ratio were significantly lower in the statin/rosuvastatin group than the non-statin/placebo group (all P < 0.001). Statin therapy was associated with lower risk of WMH, lacunes, and EPVS progression than the non-statin therapy group after adjustment for confounders (all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of microbleeds between the statin and non-statin therapy groups (all, P > 0.05).ConclusionsOur findings indicated that statin therapy alleviated the progression of WMH, lacunes, and EPVS without elevating the risk of microbleeds. On the basis of the observed results, we concluded that statin therapy is an efficient and safe intervention for CSVD in adults ≥75 years of age.Trial registrationChictr.org.cn: ChiCTR-IOR-17013557, date of trial retrospective registration November 27, 2017 and ChiCTR-EOC-017013598, date of trial retrospective registration November 29, 2017.

Effect of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methyl-Glutaryl-Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitors on the Meibomian Gland Morphology in Patients with Dyslipidemia

Previous studies have suggested an association between dyslipidemia and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). The aim of this prospective, nonrandomized clinical study is to evaluate the possible association of dyslipidemia and its treatment with meibomian gland (MG) morphologic changes by standardized meibography. Prospective, nonrandomized clinical study. Two groups of participants were enrolled: group 1, comprised of patients under regular 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor (statin) treatment for dyslipidemia, and group 2, those with newly diagnosed dyslipidemia who were under lifestyle interventions. Meibography was performed at baseline and at both the 6- and 12-month visits and were graded by meiboscores. Participants underwent slit lamp examination for signs of changes in meibum quality and MG lid morphologic features. The Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire was given to measure subjective symptoms of ocular surface disease. Dry eye parameters including tear meniscus height, noninvasive first and average tear film break-up time, and Schirmer test results were also recorded. Ninety-eight participants completed this longitudinal study over 12months. There were statistically significant changes in total meiboscores (P= .01) and upper eyelid meiboscores (P= .012), lid margin abnormality scores (P= .0059), and meibum quality (P= .0002) in the statin group during follow-up visits. Similar changes of upper eyelid meiboscores (P= .046) and meibum quality (P= .046) were noted in the nonstatin group. Meibomian gland atrophy and deterioration of meibum quality continued in the long term among participants with dyslipidemia even under statin usage.

In-Hospital Use of Statins Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Mortality among Individuals with COVID-19

SummaryStatins are lipid-lowering therapeutics with favorable anti-inflammatory profiles and have been proposed as an adjunct therapy for COVID-19. However, statins may increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 viral entry by inducing ACE2 expression. Here, we performed a retrospective study on 13,981 patients with COVID-19 in Hubei Province, China, among which 1,219 received statins. Based on a mixed-effect Cox model after propensity score-matching, we found that the risk for 28-day all-cause mortality was 5.2% and 9.4% in the matched statin and non-statin groups, respectively, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.58. The statin use-associated lower risk of mortality was also observed in the Cox time-varying model and marginal structural model analysis. These results give support for the completion of ongoing prospective studies and randomized controlled trials involving statin treatment for COVID-19, which are needed to further validate the utility of this class of drugs to combat the mortality of this pandemic.

Reduced risk of post ERCP pancreatitis in statin users

BackgroundOne of the most feared complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), with an incidence of 3.5 to 15%, is post ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). Given the role of statins in the reduction of systemic and pancreatic intraluminal inflammation, we hypothesized that the use of statins may lower the risk of PEP.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of all patients undergoing ERCP at West Virginia University during the years 2016 and 2017 was performed. Possible association of collected variables with PEP was assessed with Univariate tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses.ResultsA total of 1162 ERCPs were included. Mean age was 60.12 years (SD: 17.5). 51.3% of the participants were female. Two hundred and sixty-three participants underwent more than one ERCP during the study period.Seven hundred and ninety-nine ERCPs (78.8%) were conducted in participants who were not taking a statin medication at the time of ERCP, while 363 participants were on statin medications at the time of ERCP; 118 and 245 participants were taking high dose statins (atorvastatin 40–80 mg or rosuvastatin 20 mg), and low/medium dose statins (all other statin regimens) at the time of the procedure, respectively.The overall incidence of PEP in the cohort was 7.3%. In the non-statin and statin groups, 9.5 and 3.4% of participants developed PEP, respectively. On univariate analysis, young age, no statin use, history of PEP, and endoscopic sphincterotomy were found to be significantly associated with the development of PEP. In a binary logistic regression model, young age (P = 0.033), history of PEP (P = 0.0001, OR 2.41, 95% CI: 1.05–5.51) and endoscopic sphincterotomy (P = 0.038, OR 2.85, 95% CI: 1.7–4.78) were found to be associated with increased risk of PEP. Statin usage was found to be protective against PEP, (OR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18–0.69).ConclusionChronic statin usage is protective against post ERCP pancreatitis, and our findings suggest a potential role of these drugs as prophylactic agents. Randomized controlled trials are needed to establish any potential clinical application.

Association between statin use and incidence of relapse in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Several studies have shown the efficacy of statins for some autoimmune disorders caused by anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory reactions. However, little information is available about the impact of statins on relapse in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). We performed the first investigation examining whether statin use has an effect on suppressing the first relapse of AAV in Japanese patients with AAV. This single-center retrospective cohort study included 98 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed AAV from Aichi Medical University Hospital, Japan between March 2009 and December 2017. Time to first relapse from the first remission was compared between 36 patients in the statin group and 62 patients in the non-statin group using multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, which were adjusted for clinically relevant factors. During the follow-up period (median, 24months; interquartile range, 9-50months), 35 (97.2%) patients in the statin group achieved remission, whereas 56 (90.3%) patients achieved remission in the non-statin group (P = 0.201). After achieving the first remission, 9 (25.7%) patients in the statin group and 29 (51.8%) patients in the non-statin group had at least one relapse. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models revealed that statin use was significantly associated with a lower incidence of relapse compared with non-statin use (multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval: 0.18-0.92; P = 0.031). Patients with statin use were associated with a lower incidence of relapse in AAV. Our results should be assessed in well-designed randomized controlled trials.

Statin Pretreatment Might Be Associated with Decreased Myocardial Injury After Ischemic Stroke

Background: Myocardial injury is a complication of stroke associated with unfavorable outcome, with the elevation of cardiac troponin as the most sensitive marker. In this study, we aimed at investigating the association between statin pretreatment and poststroke myocardial injury. Methods: Six hundred seventy-one patients diagnosed as acute ischemic stroke were enrolled. According to the histories of statin pretreatment before stroke, patients were categorized into nonstatin (n = 474) and statin groups (n = 197), with the latter further divided into low-dosage, standard-dosage, and high-dosage subgroups according the dosages of statins. The level of troponin-T was tested and troponin-T level ≥14 ng/l was identified to indicate the presence of myocardial injury. The level of troponin-T and the prevalence of myocardial injury was compared between groups. Logistic regression was used to identify the effect of statin pretreatment for the presence of post-stroke myocardial injury. Results: Statin users had lower levels of troponin-T after stroke, with the level of troponin-T being the lowest in the high-dosage subgroup. The results of logistic regression showed that statin pretreatment and high-dosage statin were independent protective factors for the elevation of troponin-T levels. Conclusions: Statin pretreatment might be associated with the decreased myocardial injury after ischemic stroke.

Abstract WP166: The Effectiveness of Statin Therapy After Onset of Acute Ischemic Stroke With Large Vessel Occlusion

Background: Statin therapy was reported to be associated with lower risk of recurrence of stroke and better functional outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, the effect of statin therapy in patients with acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) was not well scrutinized. Thus, we evaluated the effect of statin administration after the onset of stroke on functional outcome based on the large registry study of acute LVO. Methods: RESCUE-Japan Registry-2 was a physician initiated registry study enrolled consecutive patients with acute LVO who were admitted within 24 hours of onset. We compared those with and without statin after onset in terms of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days. We estimated the common odds ratio (OR) for a shift towards better mRS adjusting for confounders. Result: Among 2420patients registered, 2399 patients were eligible. Mean age was 75.9 years and men accounted for 55%. Statin were administered in 447 patients(19%) after admission. There are more atherothrombotic cerebral infarction (statin group: 34.2% vs non-statin group: 12.1%, p &lt;0.0001), younger age (73.4 vs 76.5, p &lt;0.0001), and lower NIHSS on admission (14 vs 17, p &lt;0.0001) in the statin group. The adjusted common OR of the statin group was 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 - 1.37; p =0.02) compared with the non-statin group. The safety profile was similar between groups. The mortality at 90 days was 4.7 % in the statin group lower than 12.5 % in the non-statin group (p &lt;0.0001). The adjusted OR of statin group for mortality was 0.36 (95%CI 0.21 to 0.62, p = 0.022). Conclusions: Statin administration after onset of acute LVO was significantly associated with better functional outcome and mortality within 90 days. Our findings should be attested by randomized clinical trials in patients with acute LVO in future

Lipid-Lowering Therapy and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) Goal Achievement in High-Cardiovascular-Risk Patients in Fuzhou, China.

This study aims to analyze the treatment patterns and goal attainment of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) among patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in the real-world setting in Fuzhou, China. Patients aged ≥20 years with a valid LDL-C measurement (index date) in 2016 were selected from National Healthcare Big Data in Fuzhou, China. Patients were stratified into mutually exclusive cardiovascular risk categories: ASCVD (including recent acute coronary syndrome [ACS], chronic coronary heart disease [CHD], stroke, and peripheral arterial disease [PAD]), and DM alone (without ASCVD). Lipid-modifying medication and LDL-C attainment at the index date were assessed. A total of 21 989 patients met the inclusion criteria, including 17 320 (78.8%) with ASCVD and 4669 (21.2%) with DM alone; 47.7% of patients received current statin therapy in the overall cohort (53.5% in ASCVD, 26.5% for DM); 20.5% ASCVD population achieved LDL-C target with the highest in patients with recent ACS (33.8%), followed by chronic CHD (21.2%), PAD (20.9%), and ischemic stroke (17.3%); 49.0% of patients with DM achieved LDL-C target. Higher LDL-C attainment was observed in high-intensity statin and a combination of statin and nonstatin groups. Atorvastatin was the most commonly used statin with the highest LDL-C attainment, followed by rosuvastatin. Compared with previous studies in China, our study found a relatively low statin use and LDL-C target attainment, but higher than similar studies in Europe. Guidelines should be well complied and more prescription of high-intensity statin or statin and nonstatin combination should be advocated.

Preoperative Statin Use and 90-Day Mortality After Noncardiac Surgery: A Hospital Registry Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between preadmission statin use and 90-day mortality after planned elective noncardiac surgery in adult patients. Statin therapy is known to have pleiotropic effects, which improve the outcomes of various diseases. However, the effect of perioperative statin therapy on postoperative mortality remains controversial. This retrospective cohort study analyzed the medical records of adult patients who were admitted to a single tertiary academic hospital for elective noncardiac surgery between January 2012 and December 2018. The primary endpoint was 90-day mortality, which was defined as any mortality within 90 days after surgery. The secondary endpoint was overall survival. After propensity score matching, a total of 33,514 patients (16,757 patients in each group) were included in the analysis. The logistic regression analysis of the propensity score-matched cohort indicated that the odds ratio (OR) of 90-day mortality in the statin group was 26% lower than that of the nonstatin group [OR: 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59 to 0.92; P = 0.009]. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the high-dose intensity statin group had a 61% lower 90-day mortality rate than the nonstatin group (OR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.18-0.84; P = 0.016). The overall survival time was significantly longer in the statin group than in the nonstatin group after propensity score matching (P < 0.001 by log-rank test). Preoperative statin use was associated with lower 90-day mortality and longer overall survival for adult patients who underwent elective noncardiac surgery. This association was more evident for high-intensity statin users.

P3846The association between statin prescription, recurrent venous thromboembolism and bleeding events: from the COMMAND VTE Registry

Abstract Background Statin prevents occurrence and recurrence of atherosclerotic events. With regard to venous thromboembolism (VTE), a randomized controlled trial suggested that statin reduced occurrence of VTE, whereas its usefulness as secondary prevention of VTE remains to be elucidated. Purpose This study aimed to assess the association between statin prescription, recurrent VTE and bleeding events in patients with VTE. Methods The COMMAND VTE Registry is a multicentre registry enrolling consecutive 3027 patients with acute symptomatic VTE among 29 centres in Japan. We divided the cohort into the patients who were prescribed statin (N=437) and those not (N=2590), and compared the two groups. We assessed hazard ratios (HRs) of those with statin relative to those without for long-term clinical outcomes (recurrent symptomatic VTE and International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis [ISTH] major bleeding). Because the durations of anticoagulation therapy were widely different between the two groups, we constructed Cox's proportional hazard model incorporating status of anticoagulation during the follow-up period as a time-varying covariate. Also, because the incidences of death were strikingly different between the two groups due to the difference in the prevalence of active cancer, we used Fine-Gray's subdistribution hazard model in the presence of competing risks. We incorporated clinically relevant factors into these two models as covariates (10 factors for recurrent VTE and 11 for major bleeding). Results The statin group was significantly older than the non-statin group (statin 71.2±11.8 vs. non-statin 66.5±15.8, P&lt;0.001). The prevalence of active cancer in the statin group was less than one-half of that in the non-statin group (12% vs. 25%, P&lt;0.001), and the cumulative 3-year incidence of death was significantly lower in the statin group than in the non-statin group (12.8% vs. 26.1%, log-rank P&lt;0.001). The table shows the adjusted HRs of the statin group relative to the non-statin group. The HRs of the statin group relative to non-statin group for recurrent VTE were significantly low, but those for major bleeding were insignificant. Adjusted hazard ratios Outcome measures Model 1 P value Model 2 P value Adjusted HR [95% CI] Adjusted HR [95% CI] Recurrent VTE 0.59 [0.36–0.98] 0.042 0.53 [0.32–0.89] 0.02 Major bleeding 0.87 [0.60–1.24] 0.43 0.997 [0.69–1.43] 0.99 Model 1 derived from Cox's model with time-varying covariate of anticoagulation status. Model 2 derived from Fine-Gray's model. Study flowchart Conclusions Prescription of satin was associated with significantly low risks for recurrent VTE, whereas that was not for major bleeding events. Statin could be a potential treatment option for secondary prevention of VTE.

P4701Impact of statin therapy on EVT for PAD with decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

Abstract Background The benefits of treating patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) with statins are well established. Purpose This study investigated the effects of statins on patients who presented with low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, were diagnosed with PAD, and subsequently underwent endovascular treatment (EVT). Methods We evaluated 115 cases with PAD underwent EVT, 115 cases with LDL choresterol of 100 or less. The primary outcome was Low Limb event (LLE). LLE was defined as all cause death and amputation. Results We divided into two groups. Statin grous N=67, non-Statin group n=48. There were no significant significant differences prevalence of male gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hemodialysis and critical limb ischemia between two groups. LLE of one year in statin group was significantly lower in non-statin group. (22.5% vs 40.5% P&lt;0.05). Kaplan-Meier curve was shown in the Figure. Kaplan-Meier curve Conclusion Statin treatment in patients with PAD demonstrated beneficial effects such as less amputation, even though both groups presented with low LDL cholesterol levels.

The outcomes of statin therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke in Taiwan: a nationwide epidemiologic study.

Acute stroke is the third leading cause of death in Taiwan. Although statin therapy is widely recommended for stroke prevention, little is known about the epidemiology of statin therapy after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in Taiwan. To investigate the effects of statin therapy on recurrent stroke, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), coronary artery disease (CAD), cost of hospitalization and mortality, we conducted a nationwide population-based epidemiologic study. Cases of AIS were identified from the annual hospitalization discharge diagnoses of the National Health Insurance Research Database with the corresponding International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision codes from January 2001 to December 2010. We divided the AIS patients into three groups: non-statin, pre-stroke statin and post-stroke statin. A total of 422671 patients with AIS (including 365419 cases in the non-statin group, 22716 cases in the pre-stroke statin group and 34536 cases in the post-stroke statin group) were identified. When compared to the non-statin group, both statin groups had a lower recurrent stroke risk [pre-stroke statin: odds ratio (OR) = 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.82-0.87; P < 0.0001; post-stroke statin: OR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.86-0.91; P < 0.0001], lower ICH risk (pre-statin: OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.69-0.82; P < 0.0001; post-stroke statin: OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.71-0.81; P < 0.0001), and a lower mortality rate (pre-stroke statin: OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.53-0.59; P < 0.0001; post-stroke statin: OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.48-0.53; P < 0.0001). In terms of CAD, only the post-statin group had a lower risk (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.79-0.84; P < 0.0001) than the non-statin group. The post-statin group had the lowest 1-year medical costs after index discharge among the three groups. Statin therapy reduced the risks of recurrent stroke, CAD, ICH and the first year mortality in patients after AIS. Treatment with statin therapy after AIS is a cost-effective strategy in Taiwan.

Adjunctive statin therapy reduces intracranial hemorrhage and 1-year mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation after acute ischemic stroke: A population-based epidemiological study from Taiwan

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF)-related stroke causes severe disability and poor prognosis. Adjunctive statin therapy has been recommended for atherosclerotic-related stroke but not AF-related stroke. This study investigated the effects of statin in AF patients who experienced acute ischemic stroke. MethodsData from patients with AF experiencing first-ever ischemic stroke between 2001 and 2010 were collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and categorized into non-statin and statin groups. The statin group was further divided into pre-stroke statin (those who began statin therapy before stroke) and post-stroke statin (those who began statin therapy after stroke) groups. The risks for recurrent ischemic stroke, coronary artery disease (CAD), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and 1-year mortality were compared among the groups. ResultsA total of 43,242 patients were in the non-statin, 2858 in the pre-stroke statin and 4640 in post-stroke statin groups. Comparing the risk for recurrent stroke and CAD among the three groups, the pre-stroke statin and post-stroke statin groups did not exhibit a significant difference compared with the non-statin group. In terms of ICH risk, the statin group had a lower risk for ICH (odds ratio [OR] 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68–0.90; p = 0.0007) compared with the non-statin group. The overall 1-year mortality in both statin subgroups was lower than that in the non-statin group (pre-stroke statin, OR 0.55 [95% CI 0.49–0.61]; p < 0.0001 versus post-stroke statin, OR 0.53 [95% CI 0.48–0.58]; p < 0.0001). ConclusionsStatin therapy reduced the risk of ICH and 1-year mortality in AF patients who experienced acute ischemic stroke.

Effect of initiating statin therapy on long-term outcomes of patients with dyslipidemia after intracerebral hemorrhage

Background and aimsIntracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has a higher mortality than ischemic stroke. Statin is beneficial for stroke, but high potency statin treatment has been associated with the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of initiating statin therapy after ICH on cardiovascular outcomes. MethodsDyslipidemic patients were retrieved from the ICH population from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. We retrospectively compared patients prescribed with and without statin treatment after ICH. Outcomes of interest were mortality, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke during 5 years of follow-up. ResultsOf 17,980 adult patients with ICH and dyslipidemia, 8927 were eligible for analysis over the study period, including 1613 patients receiving statin therapy and 7314 patients not taking statins. After propensity score matching, the mean age was 61.2 ± 12.2 years in the statin group and 61.6 ± 13.0 years in the non-statin group. Hypertension was dominant, followed by diabetes mellitus, and the mean estimated NIHSS score was 12.9. The patients who received statin therapy were associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality (12.7% vs. 21.3%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45–0.65), cardiovascular death (4.0% vs. 7.1%; HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.39–0.75) and ICH (5.4% vs. 8.5%; HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46–0.83) compared to those who did not receive statins. ConclusionsInitiating statin therapy after ICH was associated with a decreased risk of recurrent ICH and mortality for dyslipidemia patients.

Statin use in cirrhotic patients with infectious diseases: A population-based study.

BackgroundRecent studies have shown benefits of statins in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, it is still unknown if statins have a beneficial effect on the mortality of cirrhotic patients with bacterial infections.MethodsThe Taiwan National Health Insurance Database was searched, and 816 cirrhotic patients receiving statins with bacterial infections hospitalized between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013 were included in the study. A one-to-four propensity score matching was performed to select a comparison group based on age, sex, and comorbid disorders.ResultsThe overall 30-day mortalities in statin and non-statin group were 5.3% and 9.8%, respectively (P = 0.001). After Cox regression modeling adjusting for age, sex, and comorbid disorders, the hazard ratio (HR) of statin use on 30-day mortality was 0.52 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38–0.72, P<0.001). In subgroup analysis, the 30-day mortality effect of statin use was more pronounced in patients with pneumonia (HR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.19–0.59; P<0.001) and bacteremia (HR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.35–0.85; P = 0.008). Atovastatin (HR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.37–0.93) and rosuvastatin (HR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.36–0.98) were associated with a decreased 30-day mortality risk compared to patients not taking statins.ConclusionsStatin use decreases the 30-day mortality of cirrhotic patients with bacteremia and pneumonia.

Modifying Effect of Statins on Fatal Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial: A Post Hoc Analysis

Background: Management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients includes efforts directed toward modifying traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Such efforts include optimal management of hypertension together with the initiation of statin therapy. Methods: In this observational study, we determine the modifying effect of statins on the relationship of systolic blood pressure (SBP) goal with mortality and other outcomes in patients with CKD participating in a clinical trial. At baseline, 2,646 CKD patients (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²) were randomized to an intensive SBP goal < 120 mm Hg or standard SBP goal <140 mm Hg. One thousand two hundred and seventy-three were not on statin, 1,354 were on a statin, and in 19 the use of statin was unknown. The 2 primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Results: The relationships of SBP goal with all-cause mortality (interaction p = 0.009) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality (interaction p = 0.021) were modified by the use of statin after adjusting for age, gender, race, CVD history, smoking, aspirin use, and blood pressure at baseline. In the statin group, targeting SBP to < 120 mm Hg compared to SBP < 140 mm Hg significantly reduced the risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.44 [0.28–0.71]; event rates 1.16 vs. 2.5 per 100 patient-years) and CV mortality (aHR 0.29 [0.12–0.74]; event rates 0.28 vs. 0.92 per 100 patient-years) after a median follow-up of 3.26 years. In the non-statin group, the risk of all-cause mortality (aHR 1.07 [0.69–1.66]; event rates 2.01 vs. 1.94 per 100 patient-years) and CV mortality (aHR 1.42 [0.56–3.59]; event rates 0.52 vs. 0.41 per 100 patient-years) were not significantly different in both SBP goal arms. Conclusion: The combination of statin therapy and intensive SBP management leads to improved survival in hypertensive patients with CKD.

Effects of Preoperative Statin on Acute Kidney Injury After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

BackgroundAlthough many patients with coronary artery disease are using statins before off‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) following current guidelines, recent studies have raised concerns regarding adverse effects of preoperative statins on postoperative kidney function. We evaluated the effects of preoperative statins on acute kidney injury (AKI) after OPCAB.Methods and ResultsWe enrolled 1783 consecutive OPCAB patients in either a statin or nonstatin group based on preoperative use of statins. Propensity scores were used to adjust the differences between the groups. The primary outcome was incidence of postoperative AKI according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria. To evaluate the dose‐related renal effects of statins, the statin group was divided into low‐ and moderate‐ or higher dose groups based on preoperative statin dose. The incidence of postoperative AKI was 15.7% and 13.5% in the nonstatin and statin groups, respectively, and preoperative statins did not increase the incidence of postoperative AKI (odds ratio: 0.84; 95% CI, 0.61–1.15; P=0.27). In dose‐related analysis, the moderate‐ or higher dose group showed lower incidence of postoperative AKI in comparison with the nonstatin group (odds ratio: 0.61; 95% CI, 0.39–0.95; P=0.03). However, no difference was found between low‐dose and nonstatin groups (odds ratio: 1.17; 95% CI, 0.75–1.84; P=0.49) or between moderate‐ or higher dose and low‐dose statin groups (odds ratio: 0.84; 95% CI, 0.5–1.41; P=0.51) in the incidence of postoperative AKI.ConclusionsNeither preoperative statin use nor statin dose increased the risk of AKI after OPCAB. Preoperative statin therapy is not harmful in patients receiving OPCAB.