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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
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Intrastriatal Injection of Autologous Blood or Clostridial Collagenase as Murine Models of Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Published on: July 3, 2014
Statins may increase intracerebral hemorrhage volume
Geneviève Ricard1, Marie-Pierre Garant, Nathalie Carrier
1Centre Hospitalier, Universitaire de Sherbrooke CHUS, Department of Neurology, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
Summary
Statin use was linked to larger initial brain hemorrhage volumes and increased hemorrhage expansion over time. This suggests HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors may be a risk factor for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage progression.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiovascular Research
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Studies suggest a link between low cholesterol and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
- The SPARCL trial indicated statin use elevates ICH risk.
- This study investigates statin impact on spontaneous ICH volume and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if statin use affects the initial volume of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
- To assess if statin use contributes to the progression of ICH volume.
- To analyze the relationship between statins, ICH volume, and patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of consecutive spontaneous ICH cases, excluding secondary causes.
- ICH volume measured using the AxBxC/2 method on baseline and follow-up CT scans.
- Multivariate analysis and logistic regression used to identify associations.
Main Results:
- Statin users (23%) had significantly larger baseline ICH volumes (31.2 ml vs. 16 ml).
- Statin use remained associated with increased ICH volume after adjusting for confounders (p=0.007).
- Statin users showed significant ICH volume progression between scans (+10.8 ml vs. +0.9 ml).
Conclusions:
- HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) may increase ICH volume in spontaneous brain hemorrhages.
- Statin treatment could contribute to the progression of hemorrhage volume.
- No significant difference in mortality was observed between statin users and non-users.
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