Patients taking statins after a stroke have a 68% increased risk of suffering another stroke

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Neurology June 10, 2008 vol. 70 no. 24 Part 2 2364-2370

Study title and authors:

Books:

Hemorrhagic stroke in the Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels study

L. B. Goldstein, MD, P. Amarenco, MD, M. Szarek, MS, A. Callahan III, MD, M. Hennerici, MD, PhD, H. Sillesen, MD, DMSc, J. A. Zivin, MD, PhD, K.M.A. Welch, MB, ChB and On behalf of the SPARCL Investigators*

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.neurology.org/content/70/24_Part_2/2364.abstract

This paper analysed the association between statins and hemorrhagic stroke in patients who had suffered a recent stroke. The study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial and included 4,731 patients, aged 18 years and over, who were followed for 4.9 years. The patients received either:
(i) Atorvastatin 80 mg per day.
(ii) Placebo.

The study found:
(a) Patients who received the statin had a 68% increased risk of fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic stroke compared to those who received placebo.
(b) Patients who received the statin had a 140% increased risk of non-fatal hemorrhagic stroke compared to those who received placebo.

Patients taking statins after a stroke have an increased risk of suffering another stroke.

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