Role of dyslipidemia in stroke and comparison of lipid profile in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke -a case control study

Abstract

Background: The role of dyslipidemia as a risk factor for stroke is questionable. One of the reasons could be that most studies club together ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. In India, now there is an increase in the burden of cerebrovascular disease. Hence it is very important that we should have a thorough knowledge of the risk factors for stroke and the ways of preventing its occurrence. Objective of the study was to know whether there is a role for dyslipidemia in the occurrence of stroke and if there is any difference in the lipid profile of patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.Methods: Case control study with 60 patients having hemorrhage and 60 patients with infarct and 73 controls. The patients in both the groups did not have diabetes and were not taking statins.Results: Of the 120 patients with stroke 51 (42.5%) had cholesterol levels >200mg% OR 3.75 (1.83-7.7) p <0.001 and 77 (64.2%) had LDL cholesterol >100 mg% OR 2.29 (1.27-4.15) p 0.009. In the HDL-C category 32 (26.7%) had HDL less than 40 mg% while in the control group 30 (41.1%) had low HDL cholesterol OR 0.52 (0.28-0.96) p 0.05 . There was no difference in the lipid profile of ischemia and hemorrhage.Conclusions: High total and LDL cholesterol are important risk factors in the development of stroke be it infarct or hemorrhage. HDL levels influence the development of hemorrhagic stroke but not infarct. There was no difference in the lipid profile of the two categories of stroke. Low HDL cholesterol is protective in hemorrhagic stroke.