Title

Pravastatin therapy and the risk of stroke

Purpose

To evaluate the effects of cholesterol lowering therapy with pravastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, on risk of stroke from any cause and nonhemorrhagic strokes among patients with a history of myocardial infarction or unstable angina and a wide range of baseline cholesterol levels.

Design

Randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, multicenter

Patients

As per LIPID

Follow-up

A mean of 6.1 years

Treatment regimen

As per LIPID

Additional therapy

As per LIPID

Results

• Risk of stroke was 4.5% in the pravastatin group as compared with 3.4% in the placebo group (RR 19%)
• Non-hemorrhagic stroke occurred in 4.4% of patients in the placebo group as compared with 3.4% in the pravastatin
group (RR 23%)
• Pravastatin had no effect on hemorrhagic stroke (incidence was 0.2% in the placebo group versus 0.4% in the
pravastatin group)

Conclusion

Pravastatin has a moderate effect in reducing the risk of stroke from any cause and the risk of nonhemorrhagic stroke in patients with previous myocardial infarction or unstable angina .