Low cholesterol levels are associated with lower survival rates in stroke patients

This study was published in the European Journal of Neurology 2012 Apr;19(4):648-54

 

Study title and authors

Serum cholesterol levels and survival after rtPA treatment in acute stroke.

Roquer J, Cuadrado-Godia E, Rodríguez-Campello A, Jiménez-Conde J, Martínez-Rodríguez JE, Giralt E, Ois A.

Servei de Neurologia, Hospital del Mar, Parc de Salut Mar-IMIM, Barcelona, Spain. jroquer@hospitaldelmar.cat

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22136724

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of cholesterol levels on 3-month death rates in patients with ischaemic stroke treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) and admitted to a monitored acute stroke unit. The study included 220 patients, average age of 73 years.

(a) Those with the lowest cholesterol, (less than 155 mg/dL or 4.0 mmol/L) had death rates of 25.7%.
(b) Those with cholesterol levels in the middle range, (155-192 mg/dL or 4.0-5.0 mmol/L) had death rates of 13.7%.
(c) Those with the highest cholesterol, (over 192 mg/dL or 5.0 mmol/L) had death rates of 5.5%.

The results of the study show that low cholesterol levels are associated with lower survival rates in stroke patients.