Stroke victims taking statins have increased risk of death and a 140% increased risk of infection

This study was published in the European Journal of Neurology 2008 Jan;15(1):82-90

Study title and authors:
Simvastatin in the acute phase of ischemic stroke: a safety and efficacy pilot trial.

Montaner J, Chacón P, Krupinski J, Rubio F, Millán M, Molina CA, Hereu P, Quintana M, Alvarez-Sabín J.
Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Neurovascular Unit, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. 31862jmv@comb.es

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18070096

This study was a double-blind, randomised, multicentre clinical trial to study the effects of simvastatin in patients the first 90 days after a cortical stroke. The study included 60 patients with cortical strokes (a cortical stroke occurs when the blood supply to the outside, or cortex, of the brain is reduced or blocked, which results in brain damage) who were given either simvastatin or placebo at three to12 hours from symptom onset.

The study found:
(a) More patients taking simvastatin died compared to patients taking placebo.
(b) Patients taking simvastatin had a 140% increased risk of infection compared to patients taking placebo.

Links to other studies:
Patients taking statins after a stroke have a 68% increased risk of suffering another stroke
Statins increase the incidence of liver damage
Statins associated with increased bleeding in the brain in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage