Statins lower the risk of the most common type of stroke — caused by blocked arteries — by about one-fifth, no matter how low or high a person’s overall heart disease risk is.

Scientific Claim

Statin therapy reduces the risk of ischaemic stroke by 21% per 1.0 mmol/L LDL cholesterol reduction, with no evidence that the effect varies by baseline vascular risk.

Original Statement

“The proportional reductions in ischaemic stroke (RR per 1.0 mmol/L LDL cholesterol reduction 0.79, 95% CI 0.74–0.85) were similar irrespective of baseline major vascular event risk...”

From study:The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

definitive

Can make definitive causal claims

Assessment Explanation

The RCT-based meta-analysis provides high-quality evidence for a causal effect on ischaemic stroke, with consistent effect across strata and no heterogeneity.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Human

This big study found that taking statins to lower cholesterol reduces stroke risk by about the same amount—whether you’re at low or high risk for heart problems to begin with.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials

Score: 76

DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60367-5

Similar Assertions

Statins lower the risk of stroke by about a quarter in low-risk people, just as effectively as they do in people who already have heart disease.

95%

Even though statins might slightly raise the risk of a rare type of bleeding stroke, this tiny risk is more than canceled out by the big drop in common clot-based strokes and heart attacks.

89%

Statins cut the risk of heart attacks by nearly half in low-risk people by lowering bad cholesterol, even if they’ve never had heart trouble before.

89%

For people without prior heart disease, taking statins lowers their risk of dying from heart problems and even from any cause, without increasing the risk of dying from other reasons like cancer or accidents.

88%

People at low risk of heart disease who take statins are much less likely to need procedures like stents or bypass surgery to open blocked arteries.

84%