A study published in the journal Neurology concludes that the use of statins—drugs to lower blood cholesterol—significantly reduces the risk of recurrent stroke without increasing the risk of brain hemorrhage in patients with cerebral microbleeds. The Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau), specifically the Cerebrovascular Diseases Group, has been one of the 32 cohorts that carried out this work based on their data, included in the international registry of patients with stroke and microbleeds called the Microbleeds International Collaborative Network (MICON).
The research included 16,373 patients with an average age of 70 years and a follow-up period of 15 months. Of these patients, 10,812 received statins after hospital discharge—4,669 of whom had one or more cerebral microbleeds. Compared with the control group, statin treatment in these patients was associated with a lower risk of any stroke: 53 versus 79 per 1,000 patient-years, and a lower risk of ischemic stroke during follow-up: 39 versus 65 per 1,000 patient-years. As for the risk of intracranial hemorrhage, the results were 11 versus 16 per 1,000 patient-years.
“According to this study, the use of statins does not increase the risk of intracranial hemorrhages in patients with cerebral microbleeds, offering a safe and effective alternative for secondary stroke prevention,” explains Dr. Luis Prats, researcher of the Cerebrovascular Diseases Group at IR Sant Pau and member of the Cerebrovascular Diseases Unit at the Neurology Service of Sant Pau Hospital.
Cerebral microbleeds are small blood leaks that can be detected with an MRI, often associated with cerebrovascular diseases. They are classically considered a marker of hemorrhagic risk, which is why the use of oral anticoagulants or statins has been controversial.
The Cerebrovascular Diseases Group at IR Sant Pau is a multidisciplinary team of professionals with a long and established track record in the study of stroke from both a clinical and basic perspective. Moreover, the Cerebrovascular Diseases Unit at Sant Pau Hospital is certified by the European Stroke Organization, recognizing Sant Pau as a reference center for the treatment of patients with stroke of any complexity, 24 hours a day. Additionally, it is part of the Catalonia Stroke Code (CICAT), an urgent action protocol that includes the activation of a network of healthcare devices aimed at providing immediate and appropriate care to patients with suspected stroke.
Prats-Sanchez, L., et al. (2024). Statin Therapy for Secondary Prevention in Ischemic Stroke Patients With Cerebral Microbleeds. Neurology. 2024 Apr 9;102(7).
https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000209173
