Statins Might Prevent Sepsis in Older Patients with Atherosclerosis

In addition to their lipid-lowering effects, statins appear to have some anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antithrombotic, and endothelium-stabilizing properties. Animal trial results have suggested that statins also prevent sepsis.

To evaluate whether statins might prevent sepsis in humans, researchers in Canada used public databases to identify more than 34,000 older patients (age, >65) who were hospitalized for acute cardiovascular events or revascularization and who received statin prescriptions within 3 months after hospital discharge. Each patient was age- and sex-matched with a control subject who had experienced a similar hospitalization and who was at comparable risk for sepsis, but who did not receive a statin. Duri…