In addition to their lipid-lowering effects, statins appear to have some anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antithrombotic, and endothelium-stabilizing properties. Animal trial results have suggested that statins also prevent sepsis.
To evaluate whether statins might prevent sepsis in humans, researchers in Canada used public databases to identify more than 34,000 older patients (age, >65) who were hospitalized for acute cardiovascular events or revascularization and who received statin prescriptions within 3 months after hospital discharge. Each patient was age- and sex-matched with a control subject who had experienced a similar hospitalization and who was at comparable risk for sepsis, but who did not receive a statin. During a mean follow-up of 2.2 years, patients who received statins were 19% less likely to be hospitalized for sepsis than were controls — a significant difference. When adjusted for treatment adherence, the relation of statin use to reduced sepsis risk was strengthened. Statin users also had significantly lower rates of severe sepsis and fatal sepsis than did nonusers.
These findings, which show that statins might prevent sepsis, are limited by a nonrandomized design and restriction to older patients with atherosclerosis. To learn whether statins might be used specifically to prevent sepsis in high-risk populations, with or without atherosclerosis, we will need randomized trials.
Reference:
Hackam DG et al. Statins and sepsis in patients with cardiovascular disease: A population-based cohort analysis. Lancet 2006 Feb 4; 367:413-8.