Statins may prevent renal complications after major elective surgery, according to a study published online in the April 14 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
The study examined 213,347 older patients from 211 hospitals in Ontario, Canada, who underwent major elective surgery between 1995 and 2008. Surgeries included cardiac, thoracic, vascular, intra-abdominal and retroperitoneal procedures. The researchers found acute renal injury occurred in 4,020 patients during the first 14 postoperative days, and 1,173 required acute dialysis. Nearly 3 percent of patients (5,974) had died at 30 days after surgery.
Nearly one-third of the patients in the study were being treated with a statin before surgery, and statin use was associated with a 16 percent lower likelihood of acute kidney injury, 17 percent lower likelihood of acute dialysis and 21 percent lower likelihood of mortality.
Statins were seen to be beneficial whether treatment started more than 90 days or less than 30 days before surgery.
Read the Medscape report on statins and renal complications.
Read more on surgery and complications:
-Hospitalization May Cause Temporary Memory Loss in Senior Patients
-C. Diff Increases Risk of Death 6-Fold in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
-Postoperative Probe Reduces Risk of Surgical Site Infections
The study examined 213,347 older patients from 211 hospitals in Ontario, Canada, who underwent major elective surgery between 1995 and 2008. Surgeries included cardiac, thoracic, vascular, intra-abdominal and retroperitoneal procedures. The researchers found acute renal injury occurred in 4,020 patients during the first 14 postoperative days, and 1,173 required acute dialysis. Nearly 3 percent of patients (5,974) had died at 30 days after surgery.
Nearly one-third of the patients in the study were being treated with a statin before surgery, and statin use was associated with a 16 percent lower likelihood of acute kidney injury, 17 percent lower likelihood of acute dialysis and 21 percent lower likelihood of mortality.
Statins were seen to be beneficial whether treatment started more than 90 days or less than 30 days before surgery.
Read the Medscape report on statins and renal complications.
Read more on surgery and complications:
-Hospitalization May Cause Temporary Memory Loss in Senior Patients
-C. Diff Increases Risk of Death 6-Fold in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients
-Postoperative Probe Reduces Risk of Surgical Site Infections
