Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40633931›Full record

Trial reportThorax2026

Effect of simvastatin on postoperative complications in patients undergoing one-lung ventilation during surgery: the Prevention HARP-2 randomised controlled trial.

Adam Glass, Cecilia M O'Kane, Akesh Dhrampal, Eustace Fontaine, James Ryan, Mahmoud Loubani, Sridhar Rathinam, Babu Naidu, Ingeborg D Welters, Jon Silversides and 11 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in Thorax, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Adam GlassWellcome-Wolfson Institute of Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0960-675X
Cecilia M O'KaneWellcome-Wolfson Institute of Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Akesh DhrampalNorfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, UK.
Eustace FontaineManchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
James RyanSouth Tees NHS Foundation Trust, Middlesbrough, UK.
Mahmoud LoubaniCastle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, UK.
Sridhar RathinamThoracic Surgery, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK.
Babu NaiduUniversity of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Ingeborg D WeltersCritical Care, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
Jon SilversidesWellcome-Wolfson Institute of Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Bilal AlkhaffarUniversity of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Jeremy HaydenSt James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
Ewen GriffithsUniversity Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
David ChanUniversity of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
Annmarie DoranNorthern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit, Belfast, UK.
Sorcha ToaseNorthern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit, Belfast, UK.
Christina CampbellNorthern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit, Belfast, UK.
Ashley AgusHealth Economics, Northern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit, Belfast, UK.
Gavin D PerkinsClinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3027-7548
Daniel Francis McAuleyWellcome-Wolfson Institute of Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK d.f.mcauley@qub.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-3283-1947
Murali ShyamsundarBelfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleSurgeries that require one-lung ventilation have high rates of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications with associated morbidity and mortality. Statins may limit inflammation involved in the development of these complications.

objectivesWe tested the hypothesis that perioperative simvastatin use reduces postoperative cardiopulmonary complications, compared with placebo, in surgery requiring one-lung ventilation.

methodsRandomised, double-blind, multicentre trial of simvastatin versus placebo in patients undergoing elective oesophagectomy, lobectomy or pneumonectomy at 15 sites throughout the UK. Planned sample size is 452 patients. Participants were randomised to either simvastatin 80 mg or placebo for 4 days preoperatively and up to 7 days postoperatively. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was a composite endpoint of the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome, postoperative pulmonary complications, myocardial infarction and/or myocardial ischaemia during the first 7 days postoperatively or until hospital discharge. A modified intention-to-treat analysis excluded patients who did not receive the intervention preoperatively or proceed with the planned surgery. MAIN

results251 patients were randomised, 126 assigned to simvastatin and 125 to placebo, with 208 included in the modified intention-to-treat population. The trial was stopped early because of futility following recommendations from the data monitoring and ethics committee. The primary outcome occurred in 45/106 patients (42.5%) in the simvastatin group and 39/102 patients (38.2%) in the placebo group (OR 1.19 (95% CI 0.68 to 2.08); p=0.54). Secondary and safety outcomes were similar between the groups.

conclusionIn patients undergoing one-lung ventilation, simvastatin did not reduce the incidence of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: isrctn.org identifier, ISRCTN48095567.

Indexed as

Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsOne-Lung VentilationPostoperative ComplicationsSimvastatinAgedDouble-Blind MethodEsophagectomyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPneumonectomyTreatment OutcomeHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsSimvastatinARDSCritical CareThoracic Surgery

Identifiers

PMID40633931
PMCPMC13018756

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.