SATURN is a multi-center, pragmatic, prospective, randomized, open-label, and blinded end-point assessment (PROBE) clinical trial. A total of 1,456 patients presenting within 7 days of a spontaneous lobar ICH while taking statins will be randomized to one of two treatment strategies: discontinuation vs. continuation of statin therapy (using the same agent and dose that they were using at ICH onset). Participating patients will undergo baseline testing for APOE genotype and will be followed for 24 months to assess for the occurrence of recurrent symptomatic ICH or major adverse cerebro-/cardio-vascular events (MACCE) during the follow-up period.
There is an additional MRI ancillary substudy in a subset of SATURN participants that will evaluate the effects of continuation vs. discontinuation of statin drugs on hemorrhagic and ischemic MRI markers of cerebral small vessel disease, and whether the presence/burden of hemorrhagic markers (i.e. cerebral microbleeds and/or cortical superficial siderosis) on baseline MRI influences the risk of ICH recurrence on/off statin therapy.