Cholesterol or lipid lowering drugs can cut the risk of stroke by 17 to 26 percent, according to a recent study by French researchers. While these drugs clearly reduce the risk of heart disease, their effect on stroke had been uncertain.
Statins are popular cholesterol-lowering drugs that include atorvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin. They work by increasing the clearance of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and by curbing production of VLDL, the type of cholesterol that goes on to form LDL. The net result is a reduction in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Less cholesterol means less likelihood of cholesterol deposits forming on vessel walls that could impair blood flow.
Researchers at the Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Pitie-Salpetriere in Paris, reviewed a total of 38 clinical trials involving more than 83,000 patients treated for an average of 4.7 years. All of the patients had heart disease and received some kind of cholesterol-lowering medication.
The report indicates a 26 percent reduction in the risk of stroke obtained among patients who received statins. The reduction in stroke risk was particularly evident if a patient's cholesterol was cut to below 232 milligrams per decilitre of blood (mg/dL). The findings provide strong evidence in favour of the idea that cholesterol-lowering drugs may help prevent stroke.
Archives of Internal Medicine, March 2003; Vol. 163 (6)