The use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, before or after a stroke helps improve patient recovery after an ischemic stroke.
American Academy of Neurology 57th Annual Meeting

Patients on statins before a stroke were 1.6 times more likely to have a favorable outcome compared to patients never exposed to statins.

Those on statins after a stroke were 2.6 times more likely to have a favorable outcome than those not on statins.

" These results suggest that all patients at risk for ischemic stroke or recurrent ischemic stroke should probably be treated with statins to reduce their LDL levels to 60-70mg/dl, " said study author Majaz Moonis, from University of Massachusetts – School of Medicine and director of the Stroke Prevention Clinic at UMass Memorial Medical Center.

The study examined 1,618 people, who experienced ischemic stroke, to assess whether use of statins before or after stroke onset improved their outcomes.

The research was based on the data that stroke patients had evidence of inflammation by elevated C-reactive protein levels.
Statins reduce C-reactive protein, improve the endothelium, and have an anti-clotting effect.

The results of the study were not influenced by the severity of the stroke.

Source: American Academy of Neurology 57th Annual Meeting, 2005


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