title: Association between statins given in hospital and mortality in pneumonia patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Statins are prescribed to lower cholesterol, but also have anti-inflammatory properties. Some observational studies suggest that statins may reduce mortality from sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a highly detailed administrative database, we conducted an observational cohort study of all patients aged ≥18 years who received a discharge diagnosis of pneumonia from 2003-2005 at 376 hospitals. Patients with contraindications to statins, and those unable to take oral medications or discharged within 2 days were excluded. We used multivariable logistic regression and propensity matching to compare mortality among patients who did and did not receive statins on hospital day 1 or 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 121,254 patients who met the inclusion criteria, median age was 74; 56% were female and 70% were white; 19% received a statin on day 1 or 2. Compared to patients who did not receive statins, statin-treated patients were less likely to be admitted to intensive care (15.7% vs 18.1%, p < 0.001), require mechanical ventilation (6.9% vs. 9.3%, p < 0.001), or die in hospital (3.9% vs 5.7%, p < 0.001). After multivariable adjustment, including the propensity for statin treatment and severity at presentation, mortality was lower in statin-treated patients [OR for propensity-adjusted 0.86 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.93) OR for propensity-matched 0.90, (0.82 to 0.99)]. For patients admitted to intensive care the adjusted odds ratio for mortality with statins was 0.93 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.06), whereas outside intensive care it was 0.79 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.87).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inpatient treatment with statins is associated with a modest reduction in pneumonia mortality outside of intensive care.
authors.affiliation: Center for Quality of Care Research, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA 01199, USA. Michael.Rothberg@bhs.org
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rothberg
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bigelow
authors.forename: Penelope S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Pekow
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Lindenauer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors