Patients who stop taking statins after being hospitalized for a stroke are 4.7 times more likely to die or be dependent on others for care within three months than those who continued taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs, according to a study published in the August 28 issue of the journal Neurology. The study included 89 people who were already taking statins when they had a stroke. After three months, 27 people who stopped taking statins had either died or were disabled to the point where they could not complete their daily activities independently. Other studies have also shown that, in addition to lowering cholesterol, statins appear to reduce inflammation and help keep blood from clotting, which reduces stroke risk.
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