Effects of statin use on intracranial hemorrhage and clinical outcome after intravenous rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke: SAMURAI rt-PA Registry

Abstract

Purpose: We evaluated whether pre- and post-stroke statin use was associated with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and clinical outcome at 3 months after intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) for acute ischemic stroke.
Methods: This study enrolled 600 consecutive patients (72±12 years, woman 37.2%) who received IV rt-PA at ten stroke centers that participated in the SAMURAI rt-PA Registry from October 2005 to July 2008.
Results: Statins were used prior to stroke in 11.2% and within 72 h after IV rt-PA in 10.0% of patients. One hundred nineteen patients (19.8%) developed ICH. Pre-stroke statin use was not an independent factor associated with ICH (OR 1.46; 95%CI 0.76-2.81, p=0.225). Of 535 patients with a premorbid mRS≤1, 199 (37.2%) had a favorable clinical outcome at 3 months (mRS≤1). Pre-stroke statin use (OR 1.05; 95%CI 0.55-2.01, p=0.879), as well as post-stroke statin use (OR 1.31; 95%CI 0.66-2.59, p=0.440), was not an independent predictor of outcome.
Conclusions: In patients who received IV rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke, statin use did not increase ICH after thrombolysis, nor was it associated with clinical outcome.