Aim: To describe the use of preadmission statins in patients with cerebrovascular accident and the possible predictive factors.
Patients and methods: Cross-sectional observational study of 795 consecutive patients with acute cerebrovascular accident. We assessed the differences among patients who were on preadmission statins (161) and those who were not (634), regarding vascular risk factors and clinical and neurosonological atherothrombotic disease markers. For univariate analysis, we used squared chi test, and for multivariate analysis, logistic regression analysis.
Results: Preadmission statins were 20.3%. In high vascular risk patients defined based on National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III), this reached 28% and it might be 72%. Predictive factors for preadmission statins use were, in a positive sense, the antecedent of hypercholesterolemia diagnosis (OR = 189; 95% CI = 58-615; p < or = 0.001) and stroke (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.2-3.6; p < or = 0.01), and in a negative sense, smoking (OR = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.18-0.81; p = 0.012).
Conclusions: In our population of patients with stroke, the predictive factors of preadmission statins did not adjust to the current therapeutic NCEP-ATP III recommendations; treatment with statins in high vascular risk population was way below the indications, it was 28% and it might be 72%.