“Patients given lipid lowering agents (LLAs) during an ischemic stroke have a considerably higher survival rate than patients who do not use the cholesterol-reducing drugs,” according to recent research by Yale School of Medicine investigators.
The study was led by doctoral student Norrina B. Allen of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. Findings were recently reported at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference.
Specifically, the research indicated that “those given LLAs, primarily of the statin class, within 48 hours of their stroke had a one percent mortality rate in the hospital, compared to the 5.3 percent rate for patients who were not given this treatment.” Statins are commonly-used drugs that inhibit cholesterol production in the liver.
This study followed 1,256 stroke patients who were treated from January to June 2004 at 32 academic hospitals. Via medical charts and data, the researchers studied deaths in the hospital occurring more than 48 hours after hospital admission. They also examined the outcomes for patients who were discharged from the hospital.
This initial study, notes Allen, prompts the need for further research into the advantages of administering statin drugs soon after the onset of ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes account for over 80 percent of all strokes and occur when blood vessels to the brain become narrowed or clogged, cutting off blood flow to brain cells.
"This study suggests an interesting association between LLAs and mortality that needs to be investigated further," said Allen. "These findings may provide insights into potential opportunities for acute stroke treatment."
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