Atorvastatin Does Not Reduce the Risk of Stroke in Type 2 Diabetes
full-text:Atorvastatin Does Not Reduce the Risk of Stroke in Type 2 Diabetes - American Diabetes Association
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
High levels of cholesterol in the blood can damage arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke. A stroke is a serious condition caused by damage to the blood vessels in the brain that stops the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, possibly causing cells to die. Stroke can cause a loss of the ability to speak or to move parts of the body. People with diabetes have a higher risk for stroke. Statins are a type of drug used to lower cholesterol levels in people with or without diabetes. The study attempted to show how the use of the statin atorvastatin affects the risk of stroke people with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS is a collection of various risk factors, including obesity, insulin resistance (an inability to use the insulin the body produces), diabetes, and high blood pressure, that together and can lead to diabetes and heart disease.Why did the researchers do this particular study?
The researchers wanted to look more closely at the results of the Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels (SPARCL) trial, which explored the effect of the use of atorvastatin to reduce strokes in people who had experienced a recent stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is a mini-stroke. The symptoms of TIA usually are temporary and last for at least 24 hours and are an important sign of a likely future, full stroke.Who was studied?
The SPARCL trial studied 4,731 men and women older than 18 years who had had a stroke or a TIA that had been found by a neurologist (a doctor specializing in problems with the nervous system) within 30 days of the event. Patients who had an abnormal heart rhythm, mechanical or man-made heart valves, or bleeding in the brain were left out of the study.How was the study done?
SPARCL trial participants were broken into three groups: patients with type 2 diabetes at the start of the trial, patients with MetS, and healthy patients with neither diabetes nor MetS. The researchers then studied the results from the SPARCL trial to find out whether the use of atorvastatin affected the each group’s risk of having another stroke, heart attack, or other heart-related event.What did the researchers find?
The researchers found that the patients with type 2 diabetes had a higher risk for another stroke, major heart-related events, and revascularization (increased blood flow to a part of the body) than the healthy group. However, there was no difference in risk between the healthy patients and those with type 2 diabetes or MetS when using atorvastatin.What were the limitations of the study?
The results of the study were similar to those reported in other studies, but the findings are preliminary. Further studies are needed to fully understand the affects of atorvastatin on the chances of having a stroke or a major heart-related event in people with type 2 diabetes who have already had such an event.What are the implications of the study?
Patients taking the statin atorvastatin with or without type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome are still at high risk for another stroke or heart-related event. There is no difference in the effect of artorvastatin treatment in reducing these events in subjects with or without type 2 diabetes or MetS.For More Information
Diabetes and Risk of StrokeFinding and Treating Heart and Blood Vessel Disease
Diabetes and Heart Disease
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