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Published on: November 10, 2017

Statins for stroke prevention

Larry B Goldstein1

  • 1Duke Center for Cerebrovascular Disease, Stroke Policy Program, Center for Clinical Health Policy Research, Box 3651, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. golds004@mc.duke.edu

Current Atherosclerosis Reports
|January 5, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Cholesterol levels have a weak link to overall stroke risk, but statin treatment can reduce stroke risk in high-risk patients. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind statin benefits.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Cholesterol's role in stroke risk is complex and inconsistent compared to coronary heart disease.
  • Specific cholesterol types show differing associations with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the relationship between cholesterol levels and stroke risk.
  • To evaluate the impact of statin therapy on stroke risk reduction.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of epidemiologic studies on cholesterol and stroke.
  • Review of clinical trial data on statin treatment for stroke prevention.

Main Results:

  • Weak and inconsistent association between cholesterol and overall stroke risk.
  • Positive link between total/LDL cholesterol and ischemic stroke risk.
  • Inverse relationship between cholesterol and hemorrhagic stroke risk.
  • Statins reduce first stroke risk in high-risk populations.
  • Statins reduce cardiovascular events and stroke in patients with prior cerebrovascular disease.

Conclusions:

  • Statin therapy is associated with reduced stroke risk in various patient groups.
  • The precise mechanisms of statin-induced stroke risk reduction (lipid-lowering vs. pleiotropic effects) remain unclear from current clinical trial data.

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