Statin use and the risk of post-stroke seizures: A meta-analysis

Purpose: The magnitude of association between statin use and post-stroke seizures (PSS) risk remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate this issue.

Methods: We systematically searched electronic libraries, including Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases, for relevant clinical studies. The main outcome was the risk of early PSS and the risk of post-stroke epilepsy (PSE). The pooled relative risks (RRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to calculate the association between statin treatment and risks of early PSS and PSE.

Results: A total of 7 articles met our inclusion criteria and were included. For early PSS risk, statin use was associated with a lower risk of early PSS (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.25-0.53; p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses based on the prescribing timing of statins showed that pre-stroke statin use was not associated with the risk of early PSS; post-stroke statin use was associated with a lower risk of early PSS (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.25-0.54; p < 0.001). For PSE risk, statin use was associated with a lower risk of PSE (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.42-0.92; p = 0.017). Further subgroup analyses based on the prescribing timing of statins indicated that pre-stroke statin use was not associated with the risk of PSE; post-stroke statin use was associated with a lower risk of PSE (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.49-0.70; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Statin treatment, especially the post-statin treatment, was associated with lower risks of early PSS and PSE.