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Controlling Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Essential To Preventing Stroke
Reaching optimal levels for cholesterol and high blood pressure in people
who've had a stroke is essential to prevent a second stroke or heart attack,
according to a study to be presented as part of the late-breaking Science
Program at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in
Seattle, April 25 - May 2, 2009.
Researchers examined four risk factors for stroke: high LDL cholesterol, low
HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. They found that
for each risk factor that is controlled at the optimal level, the risk of stroke and
other major cardiovascular problems goes down.
The Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels
(SPARCL) study involved 4,731 people who had a recent stroke or transient
ischemic attack, or mini stroke. Half received the cholesterol-lowering drug
Atorvastatin, and half received a placebo. The participants were followed for
an average of 4.9 years.
People who reached optimal levels in all four risk factors were 65 percent less
likely to have another stroke as people who did not reach optimal levels on any
of the risk factors. Those who reached the optimal level on three risk factors were
38 percent less likely to have another stroke, and those who reached the optimal
level on two risk factors were 22 percent less likely to have another stroke. Those
who reached the optimal level on only one risk factor were only two percent less
likely to have another stroke than people who did not meet any of the optimal levels.
The study's results demonstrate that there is a cumulative beneficial effect to
lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. It is highly recommended that people
need to work with their doctors to reach the optimal level on all of the major risk
factors. With previous studies, researchers knew that lowering cholesterol and
blood pressure was helpful overall in preventing stroke, but did not know whether
one risk factor played a stronger role than another.
The optimal levels were defined as LDL "bad" cholesterol of lower than 70, HDL
"good" cholesterol of higher than 50, triglycerides less than 150, and blood pressure |
less than 120/80.
The study was supported by Pfizer Inc.
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