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News
A new observational study suggests statins could do more than protect your heart. Patients who used statins after a first episode of status epilepticus (SE) had a 52% lower long-term risk of developing unprovoked seizures compared to non-users. While promising, researchers caution the findings are hypothesis-generating and not yet proof of a direct anti-seizure effect.
A new Italian observational study published in Epilepsia suggests that statins — best known for lowering cholesterol — may also help reduce the risk of seizures following a serious neurological event. Researchers tracked 314 patients admitted after a first episode of status epilepticus (SE) and found that those who used statins had a significantly lower chance of developing remote unprovoked seizures (RS) over time.
Of the 86 statin users in the study, most were already on the medication before their SE episode, and 80% were taking atorvastatin. Non-users were discharged without any statin therapy. Over a mean follow-up of ~31.5 months, 21% of all patients developed RS — with most relapses occurring within the first year after SE.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: If confirmed in future trials, statins could represent a low-cost, widely available tool to reduce epilepsy risk in a vulnerable post-SE population — a meaningful shift in how neurologists approach post-SE management.
