Statins are a class of drugs that lower cholesterol levels in the blood. They work by blocking enzymes in the liver that are involved in making cholesterol.
Recent studies have linked cholesterol-lowering drugs to a lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
A class of drugs that lower cholesterol levels may reduce the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, according to recent researchers using statins.This study was recently published in the journal neurology.
“While statins have been shown to reduce the risk of thrombotic stroke, there have been conflicting studies on whether statin use increases or decreases the risk of first intracerebral hemorrhage,” said the study authors. David Gaist, MD, Ph. holds a PhD from the University of Southern Denmark, Odense and is a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “In our study, we looked at lobar and nonlobar areas of the brain to see if that location was a factor in statin use and risk for first intracerebral hemorrhage.” , found a lower risk of this type of hemorrhagic stroke in both areas of the brain.
The lobar regions of the brain include most of the cerebrum including the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes. Non-lobar regions mainly include the basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem.
For this study, researchers examined Danish health records and identified 989 people with an average age of 76 who had intracerebral hemorrhages in lobar regions of the brain. They were compared to her 39,500 who were similar in age, gender, and other factors but did not have this type of stroke.
They also looked at 1,175 people with an average age of 75 who had intracerebral hemorrhages in extralobes. They were compared with 46,755 people who did not have this type of stroke and were similar in age, gender, and other factors.
Researchers used prescribing data to determine information about statin use.
Among all participants, 6.8% of those who had a stroke had been on statins for 5 or more years, compared with 8.6% of those who had not had a stroke.
After adjusting for factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and alcohol use, the researchers found that current statin users had a 17 percent lower risk of stroke in lobar regions of the brain and a lower risk of stroke in non-brain regions. was found to be 16% lower. – lobe regions of the brain.
Long-term statin use was associated with a reduced risk of stroke in both areas of the brain. A 38% reduction in the risk of having a stroke in
“For people taking statins, it’s heartening news that these drugs appear to reduce the risk of hemorrhagic stroke and the risk of stroke due to blood clots,” Geist added. was done only in Danes, who are mainly of European descent.More studies are needed in other populations.”
References: “The Association Between Statin Use and Sites of Cerebral Hemorrhage: A Nested Case-Control Registry Study,” Nils Jensen Bo, Stein Munch Hald, Mie Michelsen Jensen, Jonas Asgard Boysen, Mohammad Talal Elhakim, Sandra Florison, Alisa Saleh, Ann Clausen, Sören Möller, Frederik Severin Gråe Harbo, Ole Graumann, Jesper Hallas, Luis Alberto García Rodríguez, Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, Larry B. Goldstein, David Gaist , 7 December 2022, neurology.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201664
This research was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
