Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs May Improve Stroke Outcomes When Taken in Hospital

Using cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins after a stroke may increase the likelihood of a patient’s returning home and lessen the chance of his or her dying in the hospital, according to a new study. This research appears in the May 22, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“Statins are known to reduce the risk of further strokes, but the timing of when a statin should be started has been unclear,” says study author Alexander C. Flint, MD, PhD, with Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City, Calif., and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “Our research suggests that people should be given statins while they are in the hospital.” For more information, click here to read the full release.