No relationship of lipid-lowering agents to hematoma growth: Pooled analysis of the intensive blood pressure reduction in acute cerebral hemorrhage trials studies

Background and Purpose: Controversy persists over statins and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. We determined associations of premorbid lipid-lowering therapy and outcomes among participants of the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Trials (INTERACT). Methods: The pooled data of INTERACT 1 and 2 (international, multicenter, prospective, open, blinded end point, randomized controlled trials of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage [<6 hours] and elevated systolic blood pressure) were analyzed with regard to associations of baseline lipid-lowering treatment and clinical outcomes of 3184 participants in a multivariate model. Associations of lipid-lowering therapy and hematoma growth (baseline to 24 hours) in computed tomographic substudies participants (n=1310) were estimated in ANCOVA. Results: Among 204 patients (6.5%) with baseline lipid-lowering treatment, 90-day clinical outcomes were not significantly different after adjustment for confounding variables including region and age. In the computed tomographic substudy, 24-hour hematoma growth was greater in 124 patients (9%) with, compared with those without, prior lipid-lowering therapy. However, this association was not significant between groups (9.2 versus 6.8 mL; P<0.13), after adjustment for prior antithrombotic therapy. Conclusions: No independent associations were found between lipid-lowering medication and adverse outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.