Health
Stopping statins could hinder stroke recovery
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 10, 2007
Patients who stopped taking statins while hospitalized after a stroke were more likely to die or be dependent on others for their care three months later than were those who continued to take the drugs, according to a study in the Aug. 28 Neurology.
While no protocols suggest patients should stop receiving statins after a stroke, in many cases the drugs are discontinued to avoid problems related to aspiration of stomach contents, the researchers said.
The study involved 89 stroke patients who were taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs. For the first three days after hospital admission, 46 of the patients received no statins.
The results strongly support continuing statin drugs during the acute phase of an ischemic stroke, the authors said.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/09/10/hlbf0910.htm.
