Statin use after lobar brain hemorrhage
Official title: StATins Use in intRacerebral hemorrhage patieNts (SATURN)
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11518525 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial compares stopping versus continuing statin medicine in people who had a lobar brain bleed to learn effects on repeat bleeding and future heart or stroke events.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2019 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,947 |
| NIH project number | 3U01NS102289-06S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11518525 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults who had a lobar intracerebral hemorrhage and were taking a statin at the time of the bleed and are stable enough to be randomized.
✕Less likely to help
People who did not have a lobar ICH, who were not taking statins, or who are medically unstable likely would not benefit from joining this trial.
What this research studies
If you had a lobar intracerebral hemorrhage and were taking a statin, this multi-center trial would randomly assign you to stop or continue your statin medication. The trial is pragmatic and open-label, but outcomes like recurrent symptomatic brain bleeding and major heart or stroke events are judged by blinded reviewers. Participants are followed for about 24 months with clinical visits, imaging (MRI for microbleeds), and genetic testing for APOE to understand who may be at higher risk. The study also tracks functional recovery, cognitive outcomes, and quality of life over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the trial could clarify whether continuing or stopping statins lowers the chance of repeat brain bleeding without increasing heart or stroke complications.
How similar studies have gone: Observational studies have suggested a possible link between statins and increased ICH risk in lobar ICH and in APOE ε2/ε4 carriers, but there have been no prior randomized trials directly comparing continuation versus stopping, so this question remains largely untested in randomized fashion.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Selim, Magdy H — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Selim, Magdy H
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Anticoagulation in ICH Survivors with Atrial Fibrillation and Small Vessel Disease
This project looks at how to safely use blood-thinning medicines in people who survived a brain bleed and also have atrial fibrillation and small vessel disease.
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Statin use after lobar intracerebral hemorrhage
This trial compares continuing versus stopping statins in people who had a lobar intracerebral hemorrhage to see how that affects repeat brain bleeds, strokes, heart attacks, and recovery over two years.
-
Blocking red blood cell death after brain hemorrhage
A study at Yale is exploring whether stopping a specific kind of red blood cell death after a brain hemorrhage could improve recovery.
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Targeting HDAC3 to reduce brain damage after a brain bleed
This project will test whether blocking a protein called HDAC3 can reduce inflammation and improve recovery after an intracerebral hemorrhage (brain bleed).
-
Silent brain injuries after brain bleed may predict dementia risk
A study using MRI and cognitive tests to see if hidden brain injuries after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage help forecast later cognitive decline.
-
Tracking how stem cells and their tiny vesicles move in a mouse model of brain bleed
A study in mice will map how stem cells and their extracellular vesicles distribute in the brain after an intracerebral hemorrhage to better understand how they could help repair the damaged brain.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.