Incidence of new atherothrombotic brain infarction in older persons with prior myocardial infarction and serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥125 mg/dl treated with statins versus no lipid-lowering drug

Background. We report the incidence of new atherothrombotic brain infarction (ABI) in older men and women with prior myocardial infarction and a serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol of greater than or equal to 125 mg/dl treated with statins and with no lipid-lowering drug. Methods. The incidence of new ABI was investigated in an observational prospective Study of 1410 men and women. mean age 81 +/- 9 years, with prior myocardial infarction and a serum LDL cholesterol of greater than or equal to 125 mg/dl treated with statins (679 persons or 48%) and with no lipid-lowering, drug (731 persons or 52%). Follow-up was 36 +/- 21 months. Results. At follow-up, the stepwise Cox regression model showed that significant independent predictors of new ABI were age (risk ratio = 1.04 for a 1-year increase in age), cigarette smoking (risk ratio = 3.5), hypertension (risk ratio 3.1), diabetes mellitus (risk ratio = 2.3), initial serum LDL cholesterol (risk ratio = 1.01 for each I mg/dl increase), initial serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (risk ratio = 0.97 for each I mg/dl increase). prior stroke (risk ratio 2.5), and use of statins (risk ratio = 0.40). The Cochran-Armitage test showed a trend in the reduction of new ABI in persons treated with statins as the level of serum LDL cholesterol decreased (p < .0001). Conclusions. Use of statins caused a 60%, significant, independent reduction in new ABI in older men and women with prior myocardial infarction and a serum LDL cholesterol of greater than or equal to 125 mg/dl.