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Use of stains in patients with vascular disease has been shown to lower the incidence of stroke by approximately 30%.Statins exhibit a number of antiatherosclerotic and antithrombotic properties that likely underlie the recently observed reductions in cerebrovascular disease.Statins reduce inflammatory,proliferative,and thrombogenic processes in plaque,making it less likely to rupture.Additionally,they reverse the endothelial dysfunction and platelet activation accompanying hypercholesterolemia and may reduce the tendency to thrombosis.Hypercholesterolemia has reemerged as a risk factor for ischemic stroke.Statins protect against thromboembolic stroke through multiple beneficial effects within the vascular milieu.Further data are awaited to support the growing importance of cholesterol as a risk factor for ischemic stroke and the benefits of statin therapy in patients with cerebrovascular disease. |
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