Posted: 04/20/09
Recent studies show that cholesterol drugs and acetaminophen can be beneficial in the treatment and/or the prevention of strokes. Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Lipitor and Crestor and Zocor, decrease LDL ("bad" cholesterol) levels. These drugs are normally covered by prescription plans. French researchers reviewed several studies involving over 165,000 patients. They found that for every 1 millimole per liter decrease in LDL, the risk of stroke decreased by 21 percent. This data suggests that statin drugs slow the formation of blockages in the carotid arteries which lead from the heart to the brain and that there may be a direct relationship between lowering LDL and lowering the risk of stroke.
Another study focuses on the use of acetaminophen, best known in the US by the brand name Tylenol. Stroke patients who experience fever tend to have poor outcomes. Doctors theorize this is because when the body temperature is high, the metabolic rate of some brain cells may also be high. Without blood and oxygen, these cells can die. If the body temperature is low, the metabolic rate of the cells may decrease allowing the cells to live longer. In this study, 1400 patients were randomly assigned to receive either acetaminophen or a placebo. Patients were medicated within 12 hours of stroke symptoms. Of those with temperatures ranging from normal (98.6 deg F) to 102.2 degrees F, 40 percent showed significant benefit versus 31 percent of those given placebo. Researchers warn that not all patients should be given acetaminophen, and data that shows the drug benefits those with a certain body temperature needs to be confirmed.
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Medline Plus: Acetaminophen, Cholesterol Drugs May Help Fight Stroke
