Prior use of statins improves outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage: prospective data from the National Acute Stroke Israeli Surveys (NASIS).
OBJECTIVE
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a deadly form of stroke. Pretreatment with statins exerts protective effects in patients with ischemic stroke, but their effects in patients with ICH remains unclear.


METHODS
The National Acute Stroke Israeli Surveys (NASIS) included all patients admitted with acute stroke to any of the 28 hospitals nationwide during February through March 2003 and March through April 2007. We compared stroke severity and outcomes of ICH patients who received statins before the index event with those who did not, using multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for the propensity to use statins before the event.


RESULTS
Among 3212 stroke patients, 312 had ICH and 89 of them were receiving statins at the time of the ICH. Patients on statins before ICH had lower baseline NIHSS scores, less systemic complications, higher proportions of good outcome (modified Rankin scale 0 to 3), lower death rates, and higher rates of discharge home or to a rehabilitation facility. On logistic regression analyses statin use before the event was associated with odds ratios of 0.46 for having a severe stroke defined as baseline NIHSS >15 (95% CI; 0.23 to 0.93), 2.97 for having good outcome (95% CI; 1.25 to 7.35) at discharge, and 0.25 for death or nursing facility disposition (95% CI; 0.09 to 0.63).


CONCLUSIONS
Use of statins before ICH is associated with reduced mortality and neurological disability and with a higher chance for good outcome, suggesting that statins may be protective in the setting of ICH.
Leker
Ronen R
RR
Department of Neurology, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. leker@cc.huji.ac.il
Khoury
Salim T
ST
Rafaeli
Guy
G
Shwartz
Roseline
R
Eichel
Roni
R
Tanne
David
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007557:Israel; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors