title: Long-term improvement in outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage in patients treated with statins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe type of stroke for which there is currently no specific medical therapy. We hypothesized that statins reduce immediate inflammatory injury and improve long-term recovery from increased neurogenesis and angiogenesis. We conducted a large retrospective cohort study to assess the influence of statin therapy on patient death and disability at 12 months after ICH.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database at a tertiary care medical center. Patients were grouped based on statin use, and poor outcome was assessed as dead or alive with dependency (modified Barthel Index≤14).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We compared outcomes in 190 patients exposed to statins to 236 patients who were not exposed to statins. Univariate analysis found that statin use was associated with decreased mortality in-hospital and at 12 months (P=.001). Multivariable analysis found that statin use was associated with a decreased odds of death or disability at 12 months after ICH (odds ratio 0.44; 95% confidence interval 0.21-0.95).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statin use is associated with improved long-term outcome at 12 months after ICH. This finding supports previous clinical studies that have shown the short-term benefits of statin therapy. In addition, this study correlates with animal studies supporting the possible long-term recovery benefits of statins.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: John Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shoup
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czap
authors.forename: Ilene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Staff
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.forename: Louise D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: McCullough
authors.forename: Lauren H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sansing
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: Clinical neurology; cohort studies; intracerebral hemorrhage; medical care; outcome research; statin