Statin therapy could reduce risk for stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Key takeaways:
- Statin therapy may lower risk for stroke or transient ischemic attack among patients with atrial fibrillation.
- Longer-duration statin use could further lower risk vs. use of between 90 days and 2 years.
Statin therapy may improve risk for stroke or transient ischemic attack among patients with atrial fibrillation compared with nonuse, regardless of concomitant anticoagulant use, a speaker reported.
In addition, longer-duration statin use may further lower risk for stroke/TIA among patients with AF, according to data presented at the Annual Congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association.
Data were derived from Huang J, et al. Moderated ePosters 1. Presented at: EHRA: The Annual Congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association; April 16-18, 2023; Barcelona, Spain.
“These data support the use of statins to prevent stroke and transient ischemic attack in patients with new-onset atrial fibrillation,” Jiayi Huang, a PhD student at the University of Hong Kong, China, said in a press release. “The findings have important clinical implications particularly given that in atrial fibrillation patients, ischemic strokes are often fatal or disabling, and have a high risk of recurrence.”
To better understand the impact of statins for prevention of stroke/TIA in patients with AF, Huang and colleagues utilized the Hong Kong Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System to identify 51,472 patients diagnosed with AF between 2010 and 2018 (median age, 75 years; 48% women). Participants were grouped as statin users — defined as 90 consecutive days of use — and nonusers.
The primary composite endpoint included ischemic stroke or systemic embolism, hemorrhagic stroke and TIA.
A total of 11,866 patients were classified as statin users and 39,606 were classified as nonusers.
During a median follow-up of 5 years, the researchers observed that statin use was associated with an approximately 17% lower risk for ischemic stroke or systemic embolism (HR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.78-0.89); approximately 7% lower risk for hemorrhagic stroke (HR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.98); and approximately 15% lower risk for TIA (HR = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.8-0.9) compared with nonuse among patients with AF.
Long-term statin use — defined 6 years or more — was associated with an approximately 43% lower risk for ischemic stroke or systemic embolism (HR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.54-0.61); a 44% lower risk for hemorrhagic stroke (HR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.53-0.6); and a 42% lower risk for TIA (HR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.52-0.64) compared with short-term use, defined as 90 days to 2 years.
These results were consistent regardless of anticoagulant use and type of anticoagulant, according to the release.
Reference:
- Statin use is associated with lower risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/statin-use-is-associated-with-lower-risk-of-stroke-in-patients-with-atrial-fibri. Published April 16, 2023. Accessed April 18, 2023.
Collapse
Huang J, et al. Moderated ePosters 1. Presented at: EHRA: The Annual Congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association; April 16-18, 2023; Barcelona, Spain.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts