According to a new study, individuals who take cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins may lower the risk of haemorrhagic stroke.
David Gaist, study author, says: “While statins have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke from blood clots, there has been conflicting research on whether statin use increases or decreases the risk of a person having a first intracerebral haemorrhage.
“For our study, we looked at the lobe and non-lobe areas of the brain to see if location was a factor for statin use and the risk of a first intracerebral haemorrhage. We found that those who used a statin had a lower risk of this type of bleeding stroke in both areas of the brain. The risk was even lower with long-term statin use.”
The lobe area of the brain includes most of the cerebrum, including the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes, whilst the non-lobe area primarily includes the basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum and brainstem.
In this study, researchers examined health records in Denmark and identified 989 individuals with an average age of 76 who had an intracerebral haemorrhage in the lobe area of the brain.
These individuals were compared to 39,500 individuals who did not have this type of stroke and were similar in age, sex and other factors.
They also examined 1,175 individuals with an average age of 75 who had an intracerebral haemorrhage in the non-lobe parts of the brain. They were then compared to the 39,500 individuals who did not have this type of stroke and were also similar in age and sex, amongst other factors.
Prescription data was used by researchers in order to determine information on statin use.
Of the total participants, 6.8 per cent who had a stroke had been taking statins for five or more years, compared to 8.6 per cent of those who did not have a stroke.
After researchers adjusted for factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and alcohol use, they discovered that individuals currently using statins had a 17 per cent lower risk of having a stroke in the lobe areas of the brain and a 16 per cent lower risk of stroke in the non-lobe area of the brain.
Longer use of statins was associated with a lower risk of stroke in both areas of the brain. Those that used statins for more than five years had a 33 per cent lower risk of having a stroke in the lobe area of the brain and a 38 per cent lower risk if stroke in the non-lobe area of the brain.
Gaist says: “It’s reassuring news for people taking statins that these medications seem to reduce the risk of bleeding stroke as well as the risk of stroke from blood clots.
“However, our research was done in only the Danish population, which is primarily people of European ancestry. More research should be conducted in other populations.”
