Statin Use Linked with Lower Delirium Risk in Patients

A new study observed that continued use of Statins lowered delirium risk in critically-ill patients who took the pills before being admitted to a hospital, a new study shows.

Delirium is a state of confusion that occurs after a surgery, infection or an illness. According to previous research, the condition is common and affects between 15 and 60 percent of all patients in the U.S.

Statins are used to lower the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body. Some 30 million people in the U.S. use the drug. It has made over $19 billion in domestic sales.  

A recent study had found that statins lowered glaucoma risk - a common form of eye disease while another research linked the drug to increased  risk of diabetes type-2.

The study was conducted by researchers at Watford General Hospital in Watford, U.K., and was based on data from 470 patients.

For the study, researchers gave 151 patients statins. The drugs were given only to those patients who were taking them before being admitted to the hospital.

Even after adjusting for gender, age and diseases, Statin use was associated with lower risk of delirium and lower levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) - a biological marker for inflammation.

"This is the first study using a validated delirium screening tool, the Confusion Assessment Method-ICU (CAM-ICU), to show that the administration of statins reduces delirium in these patients," said lead author Valerie J Page, of the Watford General Hospital in Watford, UK. "This benefit may be mediated by a reduction in systemic inflammation."

"Although the pathogenesis of delirium is not fully understood, these data are consistent with a neuro-inflammatory cause and suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of statins may contribute to the effects of statin treatment on delirium," said Dr. Page in a news release. "Our study on statin use and the risk of delirium in critically ill subjects included extensive data on a large, broadly representative population of consecutive intensive care patients, increasing its strength."

According to the researchers, critically-ill patients who have been using Statins must continue to take the drug even after their surgeries.

Limitations of the study include use of few cognitive tests on the patients and the possibility that researchers might not have accounted for all the factors.

The study is published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.