title: Statin treatment in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the association of statin treatment with outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a 4.5-year period (starting November 2007), 12 781 patients (mean age, 72·8 ± 12·6 years; 48·6% women) with acute ischemic stroke from 15 hospitals in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, were enrolled in a population-based study and prospectively evaluated. The primary outcomes were the mortality during hospitalization and the disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≥2) at discharge from hospital. The secondary outcomes were the mortality and disability at three-months after discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 7535 patients (59%) with acute ischemic stroke were treated with statins. During hospitalization (mean, nine-days), the in-hospital mortality rate (4·7%; 95% confidence interval, 4·3-5·1%) was lower in patients treated with statins than in those without statins (2·3% vs. 7·9%, respectively; P < 0·001). At three-months after discharge, the mortality rate (6·9%; 95% confidence interval, 6·4-7·5%) was lower in patients treated with statins than in those without statins (5·0% vs. 10·6%, respectively; P < 0·001). Adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that statin treatment was associated with reduced rates of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 0·39; 95% confidence interval, 0·31-0·48; P < 0·001) and three-month mortality (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0·34-0·63; P < 0·001). A comparison of the patient groups revealed that patients on statins were likely to have lower disability rates at discharge (59% vs. 67%, respectively; P < 0·001) and after three-months (33% vs. 42%, respectively; P < 0·001) in patients who had survived the stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statin treatment may improve the outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Further studies are necessary to confirm this finding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Khaled
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matthis
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eggers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: disability; hypercholesterolemia; mortality; plaques; statin; stroke