Key result
High-intensity atorvastatin does not increase post-stroke pneumonia risk versus standard therapy in acute ischemic stroke.
Why the study?
Intensive statin therapy is common in acute ischemic stroke, but its association with post-stroke pneumonia remains uncertain.
Does intensive-dose atorvastatin increase the risk of post-stroke pneumonia in patients with acute ischemic stroke?
Cohort (n=3,199)
No
Does intensive-dose atorvastatin increase the risk of post-stroke pneumonia in patients with acute ischemic stroke?
High-intensity atorvastatin therapy during the acute phase of ischemic stroke does not increase the risk or severity of post-stroke pneumonia compared to standard therapy, supporting its safe use for lipid lowering.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Intensive atorvastatin in AIS may warrant PSP caution; leaves open dose effects on MDR infections in observational data.
Background The use of intensive statin therapy in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is common; however, its association with post-stroke pneumonia (PSP) remains uncertain. This study aimed to determine whether intensive-dose atorvastatin (≥40 mg/d) increases the risk, severity, or incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections in PSP compared to standard-dose therapy (20 mg/d). Methods We retrospectively analyzed 4,843 AIS patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between January 2020 and January 2022. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 3,199 patients were included. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance baseline characteristics between the intensive and standard atorvastatin groups. The incidence of PSP, pneumonia severity (evaluated by CURB-65 scores), and MDR bacterial infection rates were compared. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify independent risk factors for PSP. Results After PSM, no significant difference was observed in PSP incidence between the intensive and standard atorvastatin groups (8.8% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.691). Multivariate regression confirmed that intensive treatment was not associated with increased PSP risk, either before (OR = 1.074, 95% CI: 0.756–1.525) or after matching (OR = 1.002, 95% CI: 0.672–1.492). Among the 173 PSP patients, there were no significant differences in the proportion of severe pneumonia (21.4% vs. 20.2%, p = 0.863) or MDR bacterial infection incidence (9.5% vs. 10.1%, p = 0.897) between the two groups. Conclusion High-intensity atorvastatin therapy during the acute phase of ischemic stroke did not increase the risk or severity of pneumonia, nor did it elevate MDR bacterial infections. These findings suggest that intensive atorvastatin therapy is not associated with an increased risk of PSP and offer insights for optimizing clinical treatment strategies.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Wen et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Acute Ischemic Stroke (n=3,199). High-intensity atorvastatin vs. Standard atorvastatin (20 mg/d) was evaluated on Incidence of post-stroke pneumonia (PSP) (OR 1.002, 95% CI 0.672-1.492, p=0.691). High-intensity atorvastatin therapy during the acute phase of ischemic stroke did not increase the risk of post-stroke pneumonia compared to standard therapy.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: