A study in the Canadian Medical Journal, accompanied by a commentary, looks at statins and postoperative delirium.
This condition (“an acute change in mental status that is worrisome to patients and families”) is a big concern for many elderly patients (and their families) having major surgery. Unfortunately we don’t yet know enough about the predisposing factors and direct causes to do very much about preventing postoperative delirium, apart from avoiding some things which are obviously bad for all patients (e.g. low blood pressure, inadequate oxygen, etc). Delirium increases the average length of a hospital stay by about a week, is associated with a variety of complications and increased costs, and may even be linked to permanent brain deficits.
This study suggests that statin drugs predispose to postoperative delirium. Is the conclusion correct? Should it change medical practice, which currently strongly favors the continuation of statins after surgery because of their protective effect on the heart? Read the rest of this entry »