New research published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology has suggested that people who have a history of atherothrombotic stroke and also have high triglycerides are likely to have another stroke or other cardiovascular issues a year later, according to Science Daily.
The study also found an association in people who were on statin drugs, which are prescribed to lower triglycerides and protect against stroke and heart attack.
An atherothrombotic stroke is caused by a clot that forms from plaques that accumulated within the blood vessels in the brain.
High triglyceride levels contribute to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack, heart disease, and stroke.
Researcher Dr. Takao Hoshino said, “Our study suggests that for people who had an atherothrombotic stroke, having elevated levels of triglycerides in their blood is a risk factor for having another stroke or other cardiovascular problems in the future, and we found that to be true even if the person is on statin therapy.”
“The good news is that statin medications are just one therapy for high triglycerides — diet and exercise can also be effective ways to reduce the levels in your blood at little or no cost,” added Dr. Hoshino of the Tokyo Women’s Medical University in Japan.
The researchers looked at 870 people who had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Of those, 217 (25%) had elevated triglyceride levels. They followed up with the participants a year later to find out whether there was an association between high triglyceride and having another stroke or acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
ACS is a condition caused by a sudden reduction of blood flow to the heart, causing death due to cardiovascular causes.
Taking the factors like cholesterol level and statin use into consideration, the investigators found that people with high triglycerides had a 21% greater risk of death, stroke, or heart condition.
The authors looked specifically at people with another stroke after an atherothrombotic stroke. They found that 14 (12%) out of 114 people with normal triglyceride levels had one stroke during the study compared to 33 (16%) out of 217 people with elevated levels.
For ACS, only one out of 114 people with normal triglyceride levels developed the heart condition a year after an atherothrombotic stroke, compared to five out of 60 with elevated levels.
Dr. Hoshino said, “More research is needed, but for people who have had an atherothrombotic stroke, triglyceride levels may emerge as a key target for preventing future strokes and other cardiovascular problems.”
“Statin therapy is still an effective treatment for people with high triglyceride levels, but our study highlights how important it is to look at all the tools a person can use to lower their triglycerides, including diet modifications, exercise, and taking omega-3 fatty acids,” Dr. Hoshino added.
However, the study does not prove that lowering elevated triglycerides will prevent people from having an atherothrombotic stroke or cardiovascular problems later. It simply shows a potential link. One of the study’s limitations is that researchers only analyzed the participants’ fasting levels of triglycerides.
