Cholesterol drugs after stroke: Can they speed recovery?

I read that taking cholesterol drugs after a stroke may improve recovery. Is this true?

- Jen / Tennessee

Answer

It isn't known whether taking cholesterol drugs after a stroke improves recovery. No prospective, controlled trials have evaluated this. A number of retrospective studies have suggested that people taking cholesterol-lowering medications called statins at the time of a stroke have better outcomes than do those not taking statins. However, more research is needed to determine what role, if any, statins may play in stroke treatment.

There's also no definitive evidence that taking statins after a stroke prevents a subsequent stroke or cardiac event. A few studies suggest that taking statins one to four days after a stroke reduced the risk of a subsequent cardiac event. One randomized study showed a reduction in the overall incidence of stroke and cardiac events in people who took statins for one to six months after a stroke or transient ischemic attack. More research is needed to clarify these findings.

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