Skip to main navigation
Skip notifications
Access to POEMs and Essential Evidence Plus will no longer be included in CMA membership as of Dec. 1, 2023.
Search
Caution advised with use of statins during pregnancy
Clinical Question
Does statin use during pregnancy increase the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes?
Bottom line
This study found that statin use during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies. However, statin use may increase the risk of low birth weight and preterm labor. 3b
Reference
Study design: Cohort (retrospective)
Funding: Foundation
Setting: Inpatient (any location) with outpatient follow-up
Synopsis
These investigators analyzed data from a large national health insurance research registry in Taiwan that included 99.9% of Taiwan's population. Eligible patients included women who gave birth to their first child between January 2, 2004, and December 31, 2014 (N = 1,371,383). Case patients (n = 469) included women who used prescription statins for at least 7 days during pregnancy. Statin-unexposed women (n = 4690) matched for maternal age and year of delivery served as control patients. After multiple adjustments for potential confounders (eg, diabetes, hypertension), statin-exposed mothers had significantly greater risks of developing preeclampsia or eclampsia (relative risk [RR] = 2.78; 95% CI 1.66 - 4.65), and their offspring had significantly greater risks of preterm birth (RR = 1.99; 1.46 - 2.71) and low birth weight (RR = 1.51; 1.05 - 2.16). Congenital anomaly was not, however, significantly associated with statin exposure. In the subgroup of women who used statins prior to pregnancy for more than 3 months, maintaining statin use during pregnancy did not increase the risk of any adverse neonatal outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm labor. Outcomes were similar with regard to specific type of statin prescribed.
Reviewer
David C. Slawson, MD
Professor and Vice Chair of Family Medicine for Education and Scholarship
Atrium Health
Professor of Family Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill
Charlotte, NC
Comments
A Marker for future CV disease
Which is first the chicken or the egg? Women on statins may be prone to cardiovascular disease, hypertension when older.We know that women with preeclampsia are more likely to develop hypertension as they age. reduced placental perfusion and SGA can be part of the picture in preeclamptic women. So is the study identifying women who are most likely to go on to develop later life issues, and it is that propensity, rather than the drug they are on that is being identified?
A step further, is withdrawing 9 months of statins taking away long term protection.?
Statin use in pregnancy.
I am really at a loss to understand when we would ever use statin therapy in a woman of child bearing age. MI and possibly stroke. But incident of this would be extremely low. Let alone 1.2 million people on statins in child bearing age and getting pregnant. The problem is more so not whether statins are associated with birth defects or adverse pregnancy outcomes but more so when would we ever be so inclined to use statins in this age group.
statins in pregnancy
increase in low birth wt babies and preterm deliveries
Statins
Good material.