Influence of Statin Pre-Treatment on Metabolic and Cardiovascular Complications in Burn Patients

The following is a summary of “Impact of pre-burn statin use on metabolic and cardiovascular disorders,” published in the October 2023 issue of Surgery by Efejuku, et al.

Statins are widely prescribed medications known for their effectiveness in managing hyperlipidemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. For a study, researchers sought to explore the connection between prior statin usage and the occurrence of metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes in patients after sustaining burns.

Data from the TriNetX electronic health database were harnessed for the investigation. Burn patients with a history of statin use were compared to those without prior statin use, and the incidence of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders was analyzed.

Patients with a history of statin use before sustaining burns were found to be 1.33 times more likely to develop hyperglycemia, 1.20 times more likely to experience cardiac arrhythmias, 1.70 times more likely to develop coronary artery disease (CAD), 1.10 times more likely to develop sepsis, and 0.80 times less likely to die. Notably, individuals with a higher percentage of total body surface area (TBSA) burned, male patients and those using lipophilic statins exhibited elevated odds of experiencing these outcomes.

In severely burned patients, a history of prior statin use was associated with an increased risk of developing hyperglycemia, arrhythmias, and CAD, with a higher likelihood of these outcomes observed in male patients, those with a larger TBSA burned, and individuals using lipophilic statins. The findings shed light on the potential impact of statins on metabolic and cardiovascular health in the context of burn injuries.

Source: americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(23)00254-4/fulltext