gms | German Medical Science

61st Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC) as part of the Neurowoche 2010
Joint Meeting with the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery on the 20 September 2010

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

21 - 25 September 2010, Mannheim

Continued statin therapy associated to better outcome after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

Meeting Abstract

  • Jorge Humberto Tapia-Pérez - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Otto von Guericke Universität, Magdeburg, Germany
  • Raimund Firsching - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Otto von Guericke Universität, Magdeburg, Germany
  • Thomas Schneider - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Otto von Guericke Universität, Magdeburg, Germany

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 61. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) im Rahmen der Neurowoche 2010. Mannheim, 21.-25.09.2010. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2010. DocP1874

doi: 10.3205/10dgnc345, urn:nbn:de:0183-10dgnc3451

Published: September 16, 2010

© 2010 Tapia-Pérez et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Text

Objective: Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) frequently presents a fatal course. Up to now no treatment has doubtlessly showed a relevant improvement of the outcome. Statins are cholesterol reducers with pleiotropic effects that results in neuroprotection. We conducted a study in order to evaluate if the continued treatment with statins after ICH is associated with a better outcome

Methods: From January 2008 to December 2009 we accomplished a cohort of 201 patients with ICH admitted in our department for acute treatment. In 25 patients using statins before the ICH, the statin was continuously administered for the first 24 hours after ICH. Patients with head injury within four weeks prior to admission, with a cerebral tumor, with hemorrhage after ischemic stroke and NIHSS (National Institute Health Stroke Scale) >30 points at admission were excluded. Control-patients were assigned in a ratio 1:4. Mortality in hospital and NIHSS at discharge were assessed as outcome variables.

Results: Clinical characteristics were similar in both groups at admission. No mortality was observed in patients with continued statin therapy while 15 patients (15.1%) without statin died (p=0.04). The patients with statin-therapy showed lower NIHSS at discharge than controls (mean 13 versus 18, p=0.02).

Conclusions: The continued use of statins after an ICH seems to be associated with a better outcome in the acute phase. Randomized, prospective clinical trials are necessary in order to explore a possible therapeutic effect in the acute management of ICH.