Different Influences of Statin Treatment in Preventing At-Risk Stroke Subtypes: A Post Hoc Analysis of J-STARS

Aims: To understand the different influences of statins on the incidence rate of each stroke subtype in association with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, we performed a post hoc analysis on the data from the Japan Statin Treatment Against Recurrent Stroke (J-STARS) study. Methods: Subjects (n = 1,578) were divided into three groups according to their mean postrandomized LDL cholesterol level (< 100, 100–120, and ≥ 120 mg/dL) until the last observation before the event or the end of follow-up. A Cox proportional hazard model for time to events was used for calculating adjusted hazard ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and the trend tests. Results: The event rates for atherothrombotic stroke did not decrease in accordance with the postrandomized LDL cholesterol level subgroups of either the control or the pravastatin group (p = 0.15 and 0.33 for the trend, respectively). In the control group, however, no atherothrombotic stroke event was observed in the subgroup of the low postrandomized LDL cholesterol level (less than 100 mg/dL). The event rates for atherothrombotic stroke were lower in the middle postrandomized LDL cholesterol level subgroup (100–120 mg/dL) of the pravastatin group than that of the control group. The event rates for lacunar stroke decreased in the lower postrandomized LDL cholesterol level subgroup of the control group but not of the pravastatin group (p = 0.004 and 0.06 for the trend, respectively). Conclusions: Statins showed different influences on the risks of atherothromobotic and lacunar stroke according to postrandomized LDL cholesterol levels.