A new study suggests that people who take certain common medications may have a lower risk of having a hemorrhagic stroke due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. The study was published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The results do not show that these medications reduce the risk of this type of aneurysm; They just show the link. “We urgently need new ways to prevent this type of cerebrovascular accident, which occurs at an earlier age and with a higher mortality rate than other types of cerebrovascular accidents,” says study author Jos-Peter Canning, of the University Medical Center Utrecht in Germany. Holland.
“Our current surgical treatments for brain aneurysms carry a risk of permanent disability and death that often outweighs the potential benefits, so preventing rupture with a non-surgical medication would be extremely beneficial.”
For the study, researchers looked at 4,879 people who had a ruptured brain aneurysm, called an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Each of these people was compared with nine people of the same age and sex, for a total of 43,911 people who did not have a ruptured brain aneurysm.
The researchers then looked at electronic medical records to see what medications people were taking.
They found four medications that were associated with a lower risk of ruptured brain aneurysm: the high blood pressure drug lisinopril; Cholesterol medication simvastatin. The diabetes drug metformin; And tamsulosin, which is prescribed to treat prostate enlargement.
After adjusting for other factors that can affect stroke risk, such as high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol use and the total number of other health conditions, the researchers found that people currently taking lisinopril were 37% less likely to have a ruptured aneurysm. Brain aneurysms in those who do not take the drug.
People taking simvastatin had a 22% lower risk of stroke. Those who took metformin were 42% less likely to have a stroke, and those who took tamsulosin were 45% less likely.
The researchers also found an increased risk of ruptured brain aneurysms in people taking four medications: the anticoagulant warfarin; Antidepressant venlafaxine. The antipsychotic and antiemetic drug prochlorperazine; And co-codamol is an analgesic.
“Future research is needed to investigate these associations and determine whether these medications are effective in reducing the risk of hemorrhagic stroke,” insists Canning.
“This work can also help us identify additional risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage, which may lead to new treatments to control aneurysms.” A limitation of the study was that the researchers looked at drug prescriptions. People may not take their medications or take them incorrectly.
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