Jordan L Schultz1,2,3, Peg C Nopoulos1,4,5, Annie Killoran4,6, John A Kamholz1,4. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. 2. Department of Pharmaceutical Care, The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. 3. Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. 4. Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. 5. Stead Family Department of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. 6. The Veteran's Affair Medical Center of Iowa City, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is evidence to suggest that 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) may be beneficial in Huntington's disease (HD). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine if statin use was associated with delayed motor diagnosis in participants with premotor HD. METHODS: Among premotor HD participants from the Enroll-HD database, statin users were propensity score matched with statin nonusers based on cytosine-adenine-guanine-age product score, cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat length, baseline age, sex, and region. A Cox regression survival analysis compared the annualized hazard ratio (HR) of receiving a motor diagnosis between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The annualized HR of progressing to an HD motor diagnosis was lower in the statin users (n = 89) when compared with the statin nonusers (n = 89; HR = 0.27 [95% CI 0.18-0.50], P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with premotor HD, statin use was associated with a delayed motor diagnosis of HD. Further studies are warranted to investigate if statins would be an effective disease-modifying therapy for HD.
BACKGROUND: There is evidence to suggest that 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) may be beneficial in Huntington's disease (HD). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine if statin use was associated with delayed motor diagnosis in participants with premotor HD. METHODS: Among premotor HDparticipants from the Enroll-HD database, statin users were propensity score matched with statin nonusers based on cytosine-adenine-guanine-age product score, cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat length, baseline age, sex, and region. A Cox regression survival analysis compared the annualized hazard ratio (HR) of receiving a motor diagnosis between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The annualized HR of progressing to an HD motor diagnosis was lower in the statin users (n = 89) when compared with the statin nonusers (n = 89; HR = 0.27 [95% CI 0.18-0.50], P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with premotor HD, statin use was associated with a delayed motor diagnosis of HD. Further studies are warranted to investigate if statins would be an effective disease-modifying therapy for HD.