Statin Therapy for Secondary Prevention in Ischemic Stroke Patients With Cerebral Microbleeds

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The association between statin use and the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICrH) following ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in patients with cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) remains uncertain. This study investigated the risk of recurrent IS and ICrH in patients receiving statins based on the presence of CMBs.

METHODS

We conducted a pooled analysis of individual patient data from the Microbleeds International Collaborative Network, comprising 32 hospital-based prospective studies fulfilling the following criteria: adult patients with IS or TIA, availability of appropriate baseline MRI for CMB quantification and distribution, registration of statin use after the index stroke, and collection of stroke event data during a follow-up period of ≥3 months. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of recurrent symptomatic stroke (IS or ICrH), while secondary endpoints included IS alone or ICrH alone. We calculated incidence rates and performed Cox regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, previous stroke, and use of antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs to explore the association between statin use and stroke events during follow-up in patients with CMBs.

RESULTS

In total, 16,373 patients were included (mean age 70.5 ± 12.8 years; 42.5% female). Among them, 10,812 received statins at discharge, and 4,668 had 1 or more CMBs. The median follow-up duration was 1.34 years (interquartile range: 0.32-2.44). In patients with CMBs, statin users were compared with nonusers. Compared with nonusers, statin therapy was associated with a reduced risk of any stroke (incidence rate [IR] 53 vs 79 per 1,000 patient-years, adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.68 [95% CI 0.56-0.84]), a reduced risk of IS (IR 39 vs 65 per 1,000 patient-years, aHR 0.65 [95% CI 0.51-0.82]), and no association with the risk of ICrH (IR 11 vs 16 per 1,000 patient-years, aHR 0.73 [95% CI 0.46-1.15]). The results in aHR remained consistent when considering anatomical distribution and high burden (≥5) of CMBs.

DISCUSSION

These observational data suggest that secondary stroke prevention with statins in patients with IS or TIA and CMBs is associated with a lower risk of any stroke or IS without an increased risk of ICrH.

CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE

This study provides Class III evidence that for patients with IS or TIA and CMBs, statins lower the risk of any stroke or IS without increasing the risk of ICrH.

[Prevalence of Flavivirus antibodies in Alouatta caraya primate autochthonous of Argentina]

Flavivirus constitute a human health problem in our country. Primates are known to participate in the maintenance of Dengue and Yellow Fever viruses. However, these animals play a role which still remains to be determined in the maintenance of other viruses with potential pathogenicity for human beings and/or animals. Detección of antibodies was performed for different flavivirus in 105 sera samples of Alouatta caraya primates by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. The neutralization (NT) test confirmed only infections caused by St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) virus with a high prevalence in HI (35.23%) and NT (32.38%) antibodies. No antibody titres indicative of infections by Yellow Fever, Dengue and Bussuquara viruses were registered. Infection by the liheus virus could not be confirmed in these primates. There is a need for studies to detect new or reemergent viral infections in Argentina and the role that these primates could play in the maintenance of such infections.