This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Statins linked to better response to C. difficile therapy
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Patients with Clostridium difficile infection with previous exposure to statins were more likely to experience successful treatment response than statin nonusers in a recent study.
In a retrospective review, researchers evaluated medical records of 949 patients infected with C. difficile (CDI) between February 2005 and June 2012, and compared treatment outcomes among prior statin users (n=199) against those of nonusers (n=750). Patients who experienced a resolution of diarrhea within 6 days of therapy initiation were considered successfully treated.
Statin users had higher Charlson comorbidity index scores than nonusers (3.2 ± 1.8 vs. 2.9 ± 1.7; P=.037), and were more likely to have developed community-onset CDI (22.1% vs. 14.1%; P=.006). Proton pump inhibitor exposure was more common among statin users (52.8% vs. 29.2%; P=.001), and symptom severity measured by Charlson score was significantly lower in this group (mean 1.7 ± 1.3 vs. 2.0 ± 1.3; P=.001). Thirty-day mortality was similar between groups (5% of users vs. 4.1% of nonusers; P=.583), as were severe complications (14.6% vs. 16.7%; P=.853).
Multivariate analysis indicated associations between successful treatment and statin exposure (OR=1.449; 95% CI, 1.015-2.07) and proton pump inhibitors (OR=0.69; 95% CI, 0.513-0.929 for nonusers). Statin exposure was associated with reduced CDI recurrence at 60 days (3% of cases vs. 7.3%; RR=0.393; 95% CI, 0.167-0.926). Neither statins nor PPIs significantly impacted recovery times.
Other factors associated with treatment success included the lack of a nasogastric tube (OR=0.573; 95% CI, 0.383-0.857), higher albumin (OR=1.993; 95% CI, 1.326-2.995), lower creatinine serum levels (OR=0.577; 95% CI, 0.342-0.972) and less severe symptoms (OR=0.429; 95% CI, 0.322-0.572). Lower symptom severity (P=.001), nonuse of a nasogastric tube (P=.038) and shorter hospital stays (P=.026) were associated with decreased symptom recovery time.
“Our study demonstrates that prior statin exposure in patients with CDI is associated with an improvement in the clinical course as it relates to treatment response,” the researchers concluded. “Our study provokes further discussion on the pleiotropic benefits of statin drugs, particularly as they relate to CDI.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts