Statin Use and Hemorrhage After Ischemic Stroke

No increase in risk for hemorrhagic stroke was seen with statin use after intracerebral hemorrhage in a database study.

The largest clinical trial focusing on the use of statins for secondary prevention in patients with a recent stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) — SPARCL — showed an increased rate of hemorrhagic stroke (hazard ratio 1.66) in atorvastatin users compared with the placebo group (N Engl J Med 2006; 355:549). Although larger meta-analyses have not replicated this observation, some clinicians have had a persistent concern about potentially increasing the rate of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) with poststroke use of statins.

To address this concern, researchers evaluated six healthcare databases in Ontario, Canada, and identified 8936 patients aged 66 and older who had a stroke and then were prescribed a statin; for each patient, a control w…

Reviewing Author

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Statin Use and Hemorrhage After Ischemic Stroke

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Reviewing Author