Stroke prevention with lipid-lowering therapy

Abstract

Despite great progress in the medical sciences, the effects of stroke in the modern world are profound, both in the aspect of death and disability it causes, as well as the economic demands it poses. The most important modifiable risk factors of stroke are arterial hypertension, heart disease, cigarette smoking and transient ischemic attacks. Secondary risk factors include hyperlipidemia, obesity and physical inactivity. The role of lipids in atherosclerosis and cerebral vascular events, and the influence of lipid-lowering therapies on stroke occurrence is a subject of debate in the medical literature. The aim of this review is to answer the basic question of whether lipid-lowering therapy should be used routinely in stroke prevention.

• lipid
• prevention
• stroke
• therapy