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on April 5, 2007

Stroke. 2007
Published online before print April 5, 2007, doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.106.475905
A more recent version of this article appeared on May 1, 2007
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Submitted on October 17, 2006
Revised on November 19, 2006
Accepted on December 11, 2006

Effects of Acute Pravastatin Treatment on Intensity of Rescue Therapy, Length of Inpatient Stay, and 6-Month Outcome in Patients After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Ming-Yuan Tseng MD, Mphil, MSc; Peter J. Hutchinson PhD, FRCS(SN); Marek Czosnyka PhD; Hugh Richards PhD; John D. Pickard FRCS, MChir, FmedSci; and Peter J. Kirkpatrick FRCS(SN)*

From the Department of Neurosurgery, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pjk21{at}medschl.cam.ac.uk.

Background and Purpose--We have previously demonstrated that acute pravastatin therapy after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage ameliorates vasospasm-related delayed ischemic deficits. This study assesses the effects of pravastatin on the frequency and intensity for rescue therapy, length of inpatient stay, and long-term outcome at 6 months.

Methods--Eighty aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients (age 18 to 84 years, onset 1.8±1.3 days) were randomized to receive daily oral pravastatin (40 mg) or placebo for up to 14 days. Clinical events were recorded during the trial. Six-month outcome was assessed using the Short Form 36 and the modified Rankin Scale.

Results--Although no significant difference in the outcome at discharge was found between the trial groups, multivariate analysis showed pravastatin therapy reduced unfavorable outcome by 73% (P=0.041). The benefit persisted at 6 months (P=0.063) and was notable in the physical (P<0.001) and psychosocial (P<0.001) aspects measured using Short Form 36. Furthermore, the acute pravastatin therapy reduced the requirement for triple-H therapy (hypertensive, hypervolemic, hemodilution; P=0.045) and mortality related to vasospasm (P=0.02) and sepsis (P=0.001); no significant difference was found in the length of inpatient stay between the trial groups.

Conclusions--This trial demonstrates that acute statin treatment reduces traditional rescue therapy for vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Improvement in early outcome has proved robust at 6 months, particularly in relation to physical and psychosocial (Short Form 36) outcome.


Key words: catecholamine • psychosocial • SF-36 • statins • subarachnoid hemorrhage




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