New Insights into the Pleiotropic Effects of Statins for Stroke Prevention
Alessandro Pezzini, Elisabetta Del Zotto, Irene Volonghi, Alessia Giossi, Paolo Costa, Alessandro Padovani · Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry · 2009
There is compelling evidence that treatment with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors - "statins" - the most important class of lipid lowering agents, reduces ischemic stroke incidence independent on their effect on serum cholesterol levels. In this review, the non-lipid-mediated - "pleiotropic" - effects of statins as well as their potential implication in developing new treatment strategies for stroke prevention will be discussed.