Preoperative Statin Use Lowers Risk of Blood Clots Following Hip Arthroplasty: Study

A recent study published in recent issue of The Journal of Arthroplasty revealed that preoperative statin use is associated with a significantly reduced risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) within 90 days following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Despite advances in surgical techniques and postoperative care, VTE remains a major cause of complications for patients undergoing this procedure. 

This research analyzed data from a total of 1,154 patients between January 1, 2012, and June 1, 2023, to determine whether statin medications, commonly prescribed for cholesterol management, could lower the risk of VTE events after hip replacement surgery.

The patients included in the study used statins for at least 4 weeks prior to surgery. The study tracked outcomes like VTE events, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), emergency department (ED) visits, readmissions, reoperations, and mortality rates within 90 days post-surgery.

The results found only 0.43% of patients who used statins experienced a VTE event, when compared to 1.13% of non-statin users by marking a statistically significant reduction (P = 0.047). Also, there were no significant differences in the rates of PE, DVT, ED visits, readmissions, or reoperations between the statin and non-statin groups.