Patients ...

Patients who stop taking cholesterol-lowering drugs within a year of surviving a stroke had a two-fold increased risk of death, researchers reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Statins can benefit patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke (caused by a clot). However, stroke survivors often stop taking these drugs -- an issue previously not studied in a clinical setting, said Furio Colivicchi, M.D., lead study author.

Patients were less likely to stop taking the statins if they had diabetes or a previous stroke.

Increased Risk Of Death In Patients Who Stop Using Statins After Stroke