Elevated levels of triglycerides could increase the risk of the second stroke – even with statins, a new study finds.
There are multiple causes of stroke. A clot formed by plaques that grow up within blood arteries in the brain causes an atherothrombotic stroke.
People who have this type of stroke and have higher levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in their blood could have an increased risk of getting another stroke or other cardiovascular problems one year later, according to a new study, than people who have this type of stroke but have lower triglyceride levels.
The research found an association even when participants were taking statin drugs to decrease triglycerides and fight against heart attack and stroke.
Triglyceride levels that are too high are linked to artery hardening and an increased risk of heart attack, heart disease, and stroke.
“Our study,” according to study author Takao Hoshino, “suggests that for people who had atherothrombotic stroke, having elevated levels of triglycerides in their blood is a risk factor for having another stroke or other cardiovascular problems in the future, and we found that to be true even if the person is on statin therapy.”
“The good news is that statin medications are just one therapy for high triglycerides—diet and exercise can also be effective ways to reduce the levels in your blood at little or no cost.”
A total of 870 patients who suffered a stroke or a transient ischemic attack were studied. The average age of the group was 70.
217, or 25 percent, had increased triglyceride levels, defined as fasting triglyceride levels of 150 milligrams per deciliter or greater.
Researchers followed up with the subjects a year later to see if there was a link between high triglyceride levels and another stroke, acute coronary syndrome (any disease characterized by a rapid reduction in blood flow to the heart), or death from vascular causes.
After accounting for characteristics such as cholesterol levels and statin use, researchers discovered that persons with high triglyceride levels had a 21 percent higher risk of death, stroke, or cardiac problem over the course of a year, compared to those with lower levels who had a 10 percent higher risk.
When study looked at persons who had another stroke after an atherothrombotic stroke, they discovered that 14 out of 114 people with normal triglyceride levels had one throughout the trial, compared to 33 out of 217 people with raised levels, or 16 percent.
One out of every 114 persons, or 0.9 percent, with normal triglyceride levels developed acute coronary syndrome one year after an atherothrombotic stroke, compared to five out of every 60 people, or 8 percent, with high levels.
According to Hoshino, the study found no link between higher triglyceride levels and future cardiovascular problems in persons who experienced a form of stroke known as cardioembolic stroke.
“More research is needed, but for people who have had an atherothrombotic stroke, triglyceride levels may emerge as a key target for preventing future strokes and other cardiovascular problems,” Hoshino adds. “Statin therapy is still an effective treatment for people with high triglyceride levels, but our study highlights how important it is to look at all the tools a person can use to lower their triglycerides, including diet modifications, exercise and taking omega-3 fatty acids.”
The study does not establish that reducing high triglyceride levels will protect patients who have had atherothrombotic strokes from subsequently developing cardiovascular problems; it just reveals a link.
The study’s limitation is that the researchers looked at individuals’ triglyceride levels only during the fasting period.
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