title: Stroke prevention and statin treatment.
abstract: Randomized trials with statins have shown a modest but significant absolute reduction in the incidence of stroke in patients with a previous myocardial infarction. The reasons for the positive statin effect on stroke endpoint are unclear, because a link between serum cholesterol level and stroke never has been established. However, positive results of statin trials were mainly obtained in patients with an average or a low serum cholesterol level. Statins have a good overall safety profile. Statins reduced stroke incidence in high-risk (mainly coronary heart disease, diabetics, and hypertensives) population even with a normal baseline blood cholesterol level. In patients with prior strokes, statins reduce the incidence of coronary events, but it is not yet proven if drugs of this class actually reduce the incidence of recurrent strokes in terms of secondary prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy. parnetti@unipg.it
authors.forename: Lucilla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parnetti
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Caso
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanari
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saggese
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sebastianelli
authors.forename: Seyed Khosrow
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tayebati
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amenta
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D015994:Incidence; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors