Higher cholesterol levels are associated with a decreased risk of stroke

This study was published in Stroke 1997 Jan;28(1):45-52

Study title and authors:
A 15.5-year follow-up study of stroke in a Japanese provincial city. The Shibata Study.

Nakayama T, Date C, Yokoyama T, Yoshiike N, Yamaguchi M, Tanaka H.
Department of Epidemiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan. takeo.epi@mri.tmd.ac.jp

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8996487

The study investigated various factors that are associated with the risk of stroke. The study included 2,302 subjects aged 40 years or older who were followed for 15.5 years.

Regarding cholesterol levels, the study found:
(a) In men, every 1.21 mmolL (46.7 mg/dL) increase in cholesterol levels was associated with a 13% decreased risk of stroke.
(b) In women, every 1.21 mmolL (46.7 mg/dL) increase in cholesterol levels was associated with a 1% decreased risk of stroke.

The data from the study indicates that higher cholesterol levels are associated with a decreased risk of stroke.