Triglycerides may be major stroke risk factor

Post-menopausal women who have high triglyceride levels may benefit from a prescription to buy Lipitor. New research suggests that this form of cholesterol may be closely linked to a woman's risk of suffering a stroke.

The New York University researchers who conducted the study said their findings may change the way doctors look at risk factors for stroke. For years, physicians have focused on lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. However, the new findings suggest that triglycerides may actually be more important.

The researchers analyzed data collected from more than 90,000 post-menopausal women who had been tracked for up to 15 years. The results showed that women in the top quarter for triglyceride levels were roughly twice as likely to suffer a stroke as those in the bottom quarter. LDL cholesterol levels were not as strongly linked to cardiovascular complications.

"We've always believed that total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels were the most important biomarkers for identifying stroke risk, but this study gives us strong evidence to question that approach," said Dr. Jeffrey Berger, who led the study.