Health and Science Story

22 November 2008 18:26 BST

Cholesterol drug beneficial for elderly stroke sufferers

Research has found that a cholesterol drug taken after a stroke lowers the risk of suffering another one later in life.

A report published in the medical journal Neurology today also claims that the drug works as effectively for older people as it does for younger people.

"Even though the majority of strokes and heart attacks occur in people who are 65 and older, studies have found that cholesterol-lowering drugs are not prescribed as often for older people as they are for younger people," study author Seemant Chaturvedi, from the University in Detroit, said.

"These results show that using these drugs is just as beneficial for people who are over 65 as they are for younger people."

The study involved 4,731 people aged 18 or older who had suffered a recent stroke, transient ischemic attack or mini-stroke.

The 2,249 people aged 65 or older were placed in one group, with an average age of 72, and 2,482 people under 65 were placed in another, with an average age of 54.

Within each group, around half the people were given the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin and the other half given a placebo.

The participants were then examined for an average of four-and-a-half years.

For the older group, cholesterol was reduced by an average of 61 points and the risk of another stroke lowered by ten per cent.

In the younger group, cholesterol fell by an average of 59 points and risk of another stroke dropped by 26 per cent.

"We tested to see whether age had any effect on how well the treatment worked, and we did not find any differences between young people and older people," Mr Chaturvedi said.

"It's estimated that 20 percent of the US population will be 65 or older by 2010, so it's important that we identify ways to reduce the burden of strokes and other cerebrovascular diseases in this group. This is a step in that direction."