Hypertriglyceridemia Linked to Vascular Risk After Stroke

WEDNESDAY, March 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with stroke of atherothrombotic origin, hypertriglyceridemia is associated with residual vascular risk, even for those on statin therapy, according to a study published online March 16 in Neurology.

Takao Hoshino, M.D., Ph.D., from the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, and colleagues examined the contribution of hypertriglyceridemia to residual vascular risk in patients with atherothrombotic stroke. A total of 870 patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were followed for one year.

The researchers found that 24.9 percent of the participants had hypertriglyceridemia. There was a significant association seen for high triglyceride levels with an increased prevalence of intracranial artery stenosis, particularly in the anterior circulation, rather than extracranial artery stenosis. The risk of major adverse cardiovascular events was increased for patients with versus without hypertriglyceridemia (annual rate, 20.9 versus 9.7 percent), even after adjustment for potential confounding variables, including baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and statin use (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.46). The increased risk of vascular events in those with versus without hypertriglyceridemia was seen for patients with stroke of atherothrombotic origin (annual rate, 35.1 versus 14.2 percent), those with significant intracranial artery stenosis (annual rate, 29.9 versus 14.7 percent), and those with significant extracranial carotid artery stenosis (annual rate, 23.0 versus 9.4 percent); in patients with cardioembolic stroke, hypertriglyceridemia was not predictive of recurrent vascular events.

"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," Hoshino said in a statement.

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)