Statins and stroke

Stroke is a heterogeneous condition with a number of possible etiologies. Patients with different underlying stroke pathophysiologies may variably respond to specific preventive treatment strategies. Statin outcome trials in subjects with established coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, or at high vascular risk have shown a consistent 17–21% relative reduction in the risk of incident stroke. The benefits observed with statins appear to be greater than what might be expected from changes in lipid levels alone, because of the additional pleiotropic effects.