Effect of prior use of statins on endovascular thrombectomy outcomes in acute ischemic stroke

Introduction

Acute large vessel occlusions (LVOs) account for up to one-third of acute ischemic strokes (AIS) and are associated with high mortality and severe functional deficits. Animal model research suggests that statins may have a protective effect on vessel wall injury during endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). We conducted a retrospective observational study to assess the impact of statin use on clinical outcomes post-EVT in AIS patients with LVOs.

Methods

Using the Global Collaborative Network consisting of about 143 million patients in TriNetX database, we identified adult AIS patients who underwent EVT between 2018 and 2023. Patients were categorized based on any statin use (atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin, or pitavastatin) in the 3 months before AIS admission. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at one-week post-EVT. Secondary outcomes included intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), decompressive hemicraniectomy procedure (DHC), and aspiration pneumonia at one-week post-EVT. Propensity score matching balanced relevant medical history, stroke severity, medications, and demographics. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis compared outcomes between statin and non-statin cohorts.

Results

We identified 17,774 patients who received EVT for LVO ischemic stroke. A total of 10,678 patients were on statins during 3 months prior to EVT and 7096 patients were not on statins. After 1:1 propensity matching, 2148 patients were included in each group. AIS patients treated with EVT and on statins had lower risk of all-cause mortality [7 % vs. 17 %; HR 0.43, 95 % CI 0.35–0.51], ICH [10 % vs. 15 %; HR 0.64, 95 % CI 0.51–0.74], SAH [3 % vs. 6 %; HR 0.48, 95 % CI 0.35–0.64], and aspiration pneumonia [4 % vs 8 %; HR 0.53, 95 % CI 0.41–0.70] compared to AIS patients treated with EVT but not on statins. Rates of DHC were similar between groups [2 % vs 2 %; HR 0.81; 95 % CI (0.52,1.25)].

Conclusion

Statin use within 3 months prior to AIS was associated with better survival and lesser intracranial bleeding risks and complications following EVT. Future studies may help examine how the duration or dosages of statins or LDL levels on admission affect outcomes in LVO strokes treated with EVT.