Statin use may be safely continued during pregnancy

(HealthDay)—Statins appear to be safe to use during pregnancy, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in JAMA Network Open.

Jui-Chun Chang, M.D., from Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues examined perinatal outcomes associated with maternal use of statins during pregnancy. The analysis included 469 women who used statins during pregnancy and 4,690 age-matched controls with their first infant born in 2004 through 2014.

The researchers found that when controlling for maternal comorbidities and age, low birth weight was more common among offspring in the statin-exposed group (risk ratio, 1.51), as was a greater chance of preterm birth (risk ratio, 1.99) and a lower 1-minute Apgar score (risk ratio, 1.83). Statin exposure during pregnancy was not associated with congenital anomalies. Additionally, there was no association observed between statin use for periconceptual hyperlipidemia and adverse perinatal outcomes among women who had used statins prior to pregnancy.

"For women with dyslipidemia or high-risk cardiovascular disease, as well as those who use statins before conception, statins may be continuously used with no increased risks of neonatal adverse effects," the authors write.