Study suggests caution on statins after a bleeding stroke

Published: April, 2011

These drugs may harm more than help after a stroke linked to a degenerative brain condition.

The drugs known as statins do many good things. They are the most powerful cholesterol-lowering agents discovered so far. They help prevent heart attacks in people who have had one, as well as in those at high risk for one. They lessen the risk of having an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, the most common kind of stroke in the United States. Use of statins has been linked to stronger bones, better brain health in old age, and other noncardiovascular benefits.

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