Ongoing Statin Therapy Prevents Delirium in Critically Ill

The risk of delirium goes down in critically ill patients kept on statin therapy and this also helps in lowering risk of dementia, according to a latest observational study.

The study  observed 470 intensive care patients in the U.K. and found that continued usage of statins helped in lowering delirium in critically ill patients who were on statins before being admitted to hospital.

Delirium, is temporary and reversible, and is defined as a cerebral dysfunction that triggers mental confusion and emotional disruption. People suffering with delirium find it difficult to sleep, think or remember. The American Delirium Society numbers reveal that over 7 million people in the U.S. suffering from delirium are hospitalized each year. And over 60 percent of the patients suffering from delirium are not diagnosed properly.

In this study, out of the 470 intensive care patients only 151 received statins. Statins was given to those patients who had earlier received statin.

"This is the first study using a validated delirium screening tool, the Confusion Assessment Method-ICU (CAM-ICU), to show that the administration of statins reduces delirium in these patients," said lead author Valerie J Page MB ChB, of the Watford General Hospital in Watford, U.K. "This benefit may be mediated by a reduction in systemic inflammation."

After taking into consideration factors such as age, sex and severity of the illness, the researchers noted that administration of statins was linked with a lower risk of delirium and an associated reduction in serum C-reactive protein (CRP), which indicates systemic inflammation.

When CRP was adjusted, the impact of statin use on lowering delirium dropped.

"Although the pathogenesis of delirium is not fully understood, these data are consistent with a neuro-inflammatory cause and suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of statins may contribute to the effects of statin treatment on delirium," said Dr. Page. "Our study on statin use and the risk of delirium in critically ill subjects included extensive data on a large, broadly representative population of consecutive intensive care patients, increasing its strength."

With this study the researchers suggest that the use of statins should be continued as it helps in preventing delirium.

The findings are published in the Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.