TUESDAY, March 23, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins may improve recovery in stroke patients, says a U.S. study published this week in BMC Medicine.
Researchers observed 433 ischemic stroke patients admitted to the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Stroke Program at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md.
The study found that 51 percent of the patients who were taking statins when they were admitted to the hospital were discharged with no significant disability, compared with 38 percent of the patients who weren't taking statins when they arrived at the hospital.
While the study found an association between prior statin use and improved outcome after stroke, it found no significant differences in the severity of strokes suffered by patients taking statins and those who weren't taking statins.
More information
The American Heart Association has information about stroke risk factors.
