Statin use reduces stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation

A region-wide study of more than 50,000 patients with atrial fibrillation found that those who started statin therapy within 1 year of diagnosis had a higher risk of stroke and transient ischemic attack than those who did not. was found to decrease. The findings will be presented at his EHRA 2023, the scientific conference of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

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“Our study shows that long-term use of statins is even more protective against stroke than short-term use,” said study author Ph.D. Hong Kong, China. Currently studying at university.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia, affecting over 40 million people worldwide. A patient with this condition has a five times higher risk of stroke than other patients. Anticoagulants are recommended to prevent stroke in people with atrial fibrillation, but they do not completely eliminate the risk. It is widely prescribed to reduce the chances. However, the benefit of statins for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation is unknown.

This study evaluated the association between statin use and the incidence of stroke and transient ischemic attacks in patients with atrial fibrillation. Researchers used the Hong Kong Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System to identify all patients with a new diagnosis of atrial fibrillation between 2010 and 2018. Participants were divided into two groups: statin users and nonusers. The user had received a statin for at least 90 consecutive days during the year after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism, hemorrhagic stroke, and transient ischemic attack. Patients were followed until primary outcome, death, or study termination on October 31, 2022.

A total of 51,472 patients with a new diagnosis of atrial fibrillation were included, of whom 11,866 were classified as statin users and 39,606 were nonusers. The median age of the participants he was 75 years old and 48% were female. With a median follow-up of 5 years, statin users had significantly lower risks for all primary outcomes compared with non-users. For example, statin use reduced the risk of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism by 17% (hazard ratio). [HR] 0.83; 95% CI [CI] 0.78–0.89), a 7% reduction in the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.89–0.98), and a 15% reduction in the risk of transient ischemic attack (HR 0.85; 95% CI 0.80). –0.90).

Researchers also found that long-term use of statins was more protective than short-term use. Patients taking statins for at least 6 years had a 43% lower risk of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism compared with those taking statins for 3 months to 2 years (HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.54–0.61), decreased likelihood by 44%. There was a 42% reduction in the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.53–0.60) and transient ischemic attack (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.52–0.64). These associations were consistent regardless of whether patients used anticoagulants and the type of anticoagulant.

Mr Huang said: become ineffective and have a high risk of recurrence. “

Related papers of interest

• Pastori, Daniele et al. “Statin use and mortality in atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 100,287 patients.” Pharmacological Studies, vol. 165, March 2021, p. 105418, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105418Accessed 6 June 2022, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661821000013
• Eun, Mi, et al. “Statin effects in atrial fibrillation-related stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Frontiers in Neurology, vol. November 11, 2020 https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2020.589684., https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.589684/full
• Gupta, Arrity et al. “Association of preceding statin use with reduced mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.” Nature Communications,roll. 12, no. 1, 26 February 2021, p. 1325, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21553-1, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21553-1