Takeaway
- In patients with acute, first-ever ischaemic stroke with high-grade internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis and post-stroke functional dependence, lower total cholesterol level was associated with increased risk for 5-year mortality.
Why this matters
- Recent treatment guidelines of hyperlipidaemia suggest more aggressive treatment for reducing risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and ischaemic stroke.
- However, these findings suggest a careful consideration of aggressive treatment of hyperlipidaemia in patients with acute, first-ever ischaemic stroke with high-grade ICA stenosis and post-stroke functional dependence.
Study design
- Study prospectively evaluated 196 patients with acute ischaemic stroke with high-grade ICA stenosis and modified Rankin Scale score ≥3.
- Patients were divided into 2 groups based on total cholesterol level at admission : ≥200 or
- Patients were followed-up for 5 years after initial assessment.
- Funding: None.
Key results
- After adjusting for established clinical predictors of adverse outcomes, lower total cholesterol level (aHR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.09-3.23; P=.023) was a significant risk factor for 5-year all-cause mortality.
- The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (P=.013) was significantly higher and that of atrial fibrillation (P=.011) was significantly lower in patients with high vs low total cholesterol level.
- Patients with lower cholesterol level had significantly lower value of haemoglobin (P=.001), whereas glycohaemoglobin was significantly higher in patients with higher total cholesterol level (P=.001).
Limitations
- Small study population.
- Nutritional status of patients not evaluated.
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