Stroke

Statin use associated with reduced risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage

July 10, 2025

Study details: This large, population-based case-control study utilized the Japanese Health Insurance Claims Database (2005–2021) to assess the association between statin use and risk of first-ever subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in individuals aged 0 to 74 years. A total of 3,498 SAH cases were matched to 13,992 controls by age, sex, and follow-up period. Statin exposure (use, recency, duration) was evaluated prior to SAH, and conditional logistic regression was used to adjust for patient characteristics and comorbidities.

Results: Statin use was reported in 12.2% of SAH cases and 12.7% of controls. After adjustment, statin use was significantly associated with a reduced risk of SAH (adjusted odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.69–0.95). The protective association was more pronounced in individuals with a history of hypertension or cerebrovascular disease (significant interaction, P = 0.042 for both).

Clinical impact: Statin therapy may confer a protective effect against SAH, particularly in patients with hypertension or cerebrovascular disease. This supports the consideration of statins as part of preventive strategies in high-risk populations, though causality cannot be established from observational data alone.

Source:

Hagiwara M, et al. (2025, July 8). Stroke. Association Between Statin Use and Risk of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Case-Control Study Using Large-Scale Claims Data. Stroke. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40625226/