CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND STATIN
In
a New England Journal of Medicine correspondence (Central Nervous System and Limb
Anomalies in Case Reports of First-Trimester Statin Exposure. NEJM 350, 1579-1582, 2004) is shown an interesting evaluation
of the exposure to statin during pregnancy. The cholesterol-lowering statin
drugs are contraindicated in pregnancy, therefore few data exist
regarding their safety in human gestation. The authors reviewed 178
cases of first-trimester statin exposure reported to the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) from 1987 through 2001 for patterns
suggesting possible drug-related effects on embryogenesis. After the
exclusion of cases involving first-trimester elective or spontaneous
abortions (46 and 42 cases, respectively), pregnancy loss due to
maternal illness (15), fetal genetic disorders (3), transient
neonatal disorders (5), or loss to follow-up (15), 52 cases were
considered evaluable.
Definite
central nervous system and limb anomalies were found.
BM&L- April
2004