Statin Helps Keep Second Strokes at Bay

Lipitor study supports use of cholesterol-lowering drugs after attacks

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

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FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Lowering blood cholesterol levels with a statin after a stroke or a mini-stroke cuts the risk of a second stroke or heart attack, French researchers report.

The finding held true even in patients with no previous history of heart disease, the team said.

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This and other studies "have demonstrated a very clear treatment effect of statins, given before a stroke or after a stroke," said Dr. Majaz Moonis, director of stroke services at the University of Massachusetts, who has done extensive work in the field.

He was not involved in this study, which was presented at this week's annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, in Boston. The drug used in the study was atorvastatin, sold as Lipitor by Pfizer Inc., which financed the trial.

The new report, led by Dr. Pierre Amarenco, a neurologist at Denis Diderot University in Paris, involved more than 4,700 people who were first assessed within one to six months of a stroke or mini-stroke (TIA).

Half the participants got a statin drug, which includes medications such as Lipitor, Pravachol and Zocor. The other half did not receive the cholesterol-lowering drugs. The team then tracked the patients' outcomes for nearly five years.

Statins did seem to cut the risk of another stroke or heart attack. For example, a statin-induced 10 percent drop in blood levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol over 30 days was associated with a 4 percent reduction in the risk of a second stroke, and a 7 percent overall reduction in risk of a heart attack in people with no history of heart disease, the researchers said.

Other major research has turned up similar findings, but the report did add some ancillary information, said co-researcher Dr. Larry B. Goldstein, director of Duke University's stroke center in Durham, N.C.

A boost in levels of HDL cholesterol -- the "good" kind that helps keep arteries clear -- appeared to be important to better outcomes, as well, Goldstein noted. Another new finding was that lowering LDL cholesterol levels in the month after a stroke had a clear benefit.

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