NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Discontinuing statin treatment after a stroke is associated with an increased risk of death or dependency after 90 days, according to a study in the medical journal Neurology.Recent reports suggest that statins, a popular class of cholesterol-lowing drugs, such as Zocor or Mevacor, may protect the brain during the early phases of an ischemic stroke, the authors explain. An ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, occurs when the blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off, usually by a clot, and the brain tissue no longer receives oxygen and begins to die.
