Scientists Identify New Potential Benefits of Statins Beyond Lowering Cholesterol

Statins are a category of medication that decrease levels of cholesterol within the blood. They work by blocking an enzyme within the liver that’s chargeable for producing ldl cholesterol.

Current analysis hyperlinks the cholesterol-lowering medicine to a decrease threat of bleeding stroke. 

Based on latest analysis people who use statins, a category of medication that lower levels of cholesterol could have a decreased threat of an intracerebral hemorrhage. Intracerebral hemorrhage is a kind of stroke brought on by bleeding within the mind. The examine was just lately printed within the journal Neurology.

“Whereas statins have been proven to scale back the danger of stroke from blood clots, there was conflicting analysis on whether or not statin use will increase or decreases the danger of an individual having a primary intracerebral hemorrhage,” stated examine creator David Gaist, MD, Ph.D., of the University of Southern Denmark in Odense and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “For our examine, we seemed on the lobe and non-lobe areas of the mind to see if the situation was an element for statin use and the danger of a primary intracerebral hemorrhage. We discovered that those that used a statin had a decrease threat of such a bleeding stroke in each areas of the mind. The chance was even decrease with long-term statin use.”

The lobe space of the mind consists of many of the cerebrum, together with the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. The non-lobe space primarily consists of the basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem.

For the examine, researchers checked out well being information in Denmark and recognized 989 folks with a median age of 76 who had an intracerebral hemorrhage within the lobe space of the mind. They have been in comparison with 39,500 individuals who didn’t have such a stroke and have been comparable in age, intercourse, and different elements.

In addition they checked out 1,175 folks with a median age of 75 who had an intracerebral hemorrhage within the non-lobe elements of the mind. They have been in comparison with 46,755 individuals who didn’t have such a stroke and have been comparable in age, intercourse, and different elements.

Researchers used prescription knowledge to find out data on statin use.

Of the whole contributors, 6.8% who had a stroke had been taking statins for 5 or extra years, in comparison with 8.6% of those that didn’t have a stroke.

After adjusting for elements like hypertension, diabetes, and alcohol use, researchers discovered that individuals at present utilizing statins had a 17% decrease threat of getting a stroke within the lobe areas of the mind and a 16% decrease threat of stroke within the non-lobe areas of the mind.

Longer use of statins was related to a decrease threat of stroke in each areas of the mind. When utilizing statins for greater than 5 years, folks had a 33% decrease threat of getting a stroke within the lobe space of the mind and a 38% decrease threat of stroke within the non-lobe space of the mind.

“It’s reassuring information for folks taking statins that these drugs appear to scale back the danger of bleeding stroke in addition to the danger of stroke from blood clots,” Gaist added. “Nonetheless, our analysis was completed in solely the Danish inhabitants, which is primarily folks of European ancestry. Extra analysis ought to be performed in different populations.”

Reference: “Affiliation Between Statin Use and Intracerebral Hemorrhage Location: A Nested Case-Management Registry Examine” by Nils Jensen Boe, Stine Munk Hald, Mie Micheelsen Jensen, Jonas Asgaard Bojsen, Mohammad Talal Elhakim, Sandra Florisson, Alisa Saleh, Anne Clausen, Sören Möller, Frederik Severin Gråe Harbo, Ole Graumann, Jesper Hallas, Luis Alberto García Rodríguez, Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, Larry B. Goldstein and David Gaist, 7 December 2022, Neurology.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201664

The examine was funded by the Novo Nordisk Basis.