Statins decrease mortality in Lebanese patients with sepsis: A multicenter study.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Intensive Care Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Sepsis represents a major global health challenge.
• Patient responses to statin therapy during sepsis vary significantly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of statin treatment on sepsis-related mortality in a Lebanese population.
• To investigate the association between statin use and survival outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, multicenter study involving 351 Lebanese sepsis patients admitted to ICUs in Beirut between 2008 and 2012.
• Comparison of patients receiving statins for dyslipidemia against a control group not on statins.
• Statistical analyses included univariate comparisons, logistic regression, and survival analysis (Cox regression).

Main Results:

• Statin use was associated with a significant reduction in C-reactive protein levels (P=0.050) and mortality (P<0.001).
• Increased ICU length of stay was observed in the statin group (P=0.047).
• Cox regression confirmed statin treatment as a factor decreasing mortality (hazard ratio = 0.540; P=0.037), while hypothermia and shock increased mortality risk.

Conclusions:

• Statin therapy, at doses for dyslipidemia, appears to decrease sepsis-related mortality and enhance survival in Lebanese patients.
• Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are essential to establish definitive conclusions on the benefits of statins in sepsis.