• I Miedema, M Uyttenboogaart, K Koopman, J De Keyser, and G J Luijckx.
• Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. i.miedema@neuro.umcg.nl
• Cerebrovasc. Dis. 2010 Feb 1;29(3):263-7.

BackgroundPreliminary findings suggest that statins may have a neuroprotective effect in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. This study investigated whether patients on prior statin therapy and treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischaemic stroke have a better functional outcome than statin-naïve patients.MethodsIn a prospective observational cohort study of 476 acute ischaemic stroke patients treated with tPA we investigated the relationship between prior statin use and functional outcome at 3 months, the occurrence of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (SICH) and early in-hospital mortality. Ischaemic stroke subtypes were defined according to the TOAST classification. Favourable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score < or =2.ResultsOf the 476 patients included, 98 (20.6%) used a statin at stroke presentation. In the entire cohort, 45.6% of patients had a favourable outcome with no difference between patients with or without statin therapy (45.9 vs. 45.5%, p = 0.94). In the multivariable analysis, statin use was not associated with favourable outcome (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.6-1.9, p = 0.87). In none of the different stroke subtype groups was statin use associated with favourable outcome. Finally, statin use was not an independent risk factor of SICH or of early in-hospital mortality.ConclusionPrior statin therapy in patients with acute ischaemic stroke treated with tPA is not associated with a more favourable outcome, and this is independent of stroke subtype.Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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