Do statins reduce rates of venous thromboembolism in high-risk trauma patients?
Statin use associated with lower odds of venous thromboembolism in high-risk trauma patients
Do statins reduce rates of venous thromboembolism in high-risk trauma patients?
The risk of venous thromboembolism (venous thromboembolism) in subsets of the most severely injured patients can approach 30%.
We hypothesized that statin use was associated with lower venous thromboembolism in high-risk trauma patients.
All patients admitted to the trauma intensive care unit (intensive care unit) from 1/2024 to 11/2024 at a single level 1 trauma center were risk-stratified using the Greenfield Risk Assessment Profile (Risk Assessment Profile).
statin users had far lower odds of developing a blood clot
In 509 patients (age 52±22 y, 71% male, 18% penetrating injury), the average Risk Assessment Profile score was 10±5, the overall venous thromboembolism rate was 17%, and mortality was 5%.
After Risk Assessment Profile-based stratification, the high-risk group (Risk Assessment Profile≥10) had a venous thromboembolism rate of 28%.
Severely injured patients have high rates of venous thromboembolism despite thromboprophylaxis;, however, the incidence of venous thromboembolism was significantly lower among statin users.
In the highest risk patients, statin use was independently associated with decreased odds of venous thromboembolism.
Because of their pleiotropic effects, including anti-inflammatory and endothelial protective properties, statins may be an important adjunctive therapy in venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis. (J Trauma Acute Care Surg.
2026;00: 000-000 Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, LLC. All rights reserved.).