Delayed cerebral vasospasm remains a major cause of delayed neurologic deficits and mortality in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Statins may ameliorate clinically significant cerebral vasospasm by increasing endothelial NO synthase and hasten basal endothelial NO release.

This study was conducted to determine whether acute statin therapy plus standard care compared to standard care alone can prevent incidence of cerebral vasospasm and improve functional outcome.

The author searched Medline, Cochrane, Ovid, Stroke Group Trial Register and Herdin databases for eligible randomized controlled trials on the use of statins plus standard care versus standard care alone in patients with aneurysmal SAH. The studies were analyzed using Review Manager 4.2 software. An estimate of treatment effect was measured using relative risk with 95% confidence
interval.

Two studies involving 119 patients were included. Delayed ischemic neurologic deficits were observed in 12 of 59 patients in treatment group (20.33%) but 24 of 60 patients in control group (40%). Overall effect favors treatment (P value of .02).