HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors improve acute ischemic stroke outcome

Background and Purpose - Statins reduce the risk of stroke recurrence, but the benefits of statins in improving outcome of acute stroke patients have not been well explored. Methods - We assessed potential effects of statins initiated before or within 4 weeks of stroke on 90-day outcome. Favorable outcomes were National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score <= 2 at 12 weeks and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) <= 2. Results - Before stroke, 129 patients were receiving statins, 123 initiated statins within 4 weeks, and 600 patients were not on statins. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that poststroke statins were associated with a significant probability of a favorable outcome at 12 weeks [ NIHSS ( P = 0.002; OR, 1.92; CI, 1.27 to 2.91) and mRS ( P = 0.033; OR, 1.57; CI, 1.04 to 2.38)], whereas prestroke statins demonstrated a trend toward significance. Conclusions - These preliminary results suggest that statin use may improve outcome of acute ischemic stroke.