Statins and Stroke — It’s Complicated

Elevated levels of cholesterol are a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including stroke, and efforts to lower cholesterol levels to reduce risk have been ongoing for decades. Because of their dramatic effect on cholesterol, statins have been widely prescribed to prevent cardiovascular events in patients at high risk. Most trials of primary and secondary prevention with statins have shown a decrease in the incidence of vascular events,1 and statins are now the essential component of medical management in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. Although statins were designed to reduce cholesterol levels, the ideal use of these agents and . . .