Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Differential Effects of Lipid-lowering Drugs in Modulating Morphology of Cholesterol Particles
Published on: November 10, 2017
Statin therapy and stroke risk in patients with hypercholesterolaemia: a population-based longitudinal study using
1School of Life Course & Population Sciences, Department of Population Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK. marc.delord@kcl.ac.uk.
Insights
Statin prescriptions significantly reduce stroke risk in hypercholesterolaemia patients. However, statins are under-prescribed to women and Black patients, indicating care disparities.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hypercholesterolaemia poses a significant risk for stroke.
- Statin therapy is a key intervention for managing hypercholesterolaemia.
- Understanding statin prescription patterns and their impact on stroke risk is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of statin prescription on stroke risk in patients with hypercholesterolaemia.
- To identify and assess disparities in statin prescribing among different demographic groups.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of electronic health records from 41 general practices in South London (2005-2021).
- Utilized a time-varying exposure Cox proportional hazards model to estimate stroke risk associated with statin prescription.
- Logistic regression was employed to evaluate associations between statin prescription and sociodemographic factors.
Main Results:
- Statin prescription was associated with a 26% reduced hazard of stroke (cause-specific hazard ratio: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.68-0.80).
- Only 33.5% of hypercholesterolaemia patients received statin prescriptions.
- Statins were less likely prescribed to female patients (OR: 0.70) and patients of Black ethnicity (OR: 0.82).
Conclusions:
- Statin therapy effectively reduces stroke risk in hypercholesterolaemia patients.
- Significant under-prescription of statins was observed in women and Black patients.
- These findings highlight critical disparities in preventive cardiovascular care that require addressing.
Background:
We aim to evaluate the impact of statin prescription on stroke risk in patients with hypercholesterolaemia and to assess disparities in statin prescribing.
Methods:
We analysed electronic health records from patients with hypercholesterolaemia, registered in 41 general practices in south London between 2005 and 2021. The cause-specific hazard ratio of statin prescription on stroke, adjusted for patients' sociodemographic characteristics and stroke risk factors (smoking ever, hypertension, and diabetes), was estimated using a time-varying exposure Cox proportional hazards model stratified by history of heart diseases. The association between statin prescription and patients' sociodemographic characteristics was evaluated using a logistic regression.
Results:
Of the 849,968 registered patients, 166,124 (19.5%) had records of hypercholesterolaemia. Among them, 33.5% were prescribed statins, 2.6% had a record of stroke, and 50.6% were female, 31.7%, 16.2% and 8.9% had records of hypertension, diabetes and history of heart diseases, respectively. In a Cox model stratified by history of heart diseases, statin prescription was associated with a reduced hazard of stroke (cause-specific hazard ratio: 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-0.80, p < 0.001), with follow-up administratively censored at 79 years (n = 161,527; 97.2%). Statins were less likely prescribed to female patients and patients of Black ethnicity (odds ratio: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.68-0.72, p < 0.001 and odds ratio: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.79-0.85, p < 0.001, respectively).
Conclusions:
Statin therapy prescription is associated with reduced stroke risk in patients with hypercholesterolaemia, yet it was under-prescribed to women and patients of Black ethnicity, highlighting avoidable disparities in preventive care.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents
01:26Atherosclerosis III: Management
01:26Angina IV: Management
01:27Coronary Artery Disease V: Interprofessional Care
01:25Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System III: Serum Lipid Profile
Serum lipids are fats and fatty substances in the blood and are crucial for various bodily functions, including energy storage, cellular structure, and hormone production. Serum lipids consist of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids.
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in all body cells. It is crucial for producing hormones, vitamin D, and substances that aid...
01:29Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...