Regional Experts Predict Rising Cholesterol Levels In Asia Will Increase Stroke Risk; Annual Heart Meeting In Singapore Sparks Debate About Treating Region's Top Killer
SINGAPORE, Jan. 15 -- XFNHK/AsiaNet
Leading cardiologists from around the region attending the 14th Annual Asian Pacific Congress of Cardiology here this week have warned that Asians may have an increased risk of stroke (brain attack) resulting from rising cholesterol levels in the region. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in industrialized countries and can have devastating physical, emotional and financial effects on patients who survive attacks. One quarter of patients who recover from the first attack have another stroke within 5 years.
Last year in the Journal of Epidemiology, the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration reported a 25 percent increased risk of fatal or non-fatal ischaemic stroke in the region, associated with increasing total cholesterol, as the result of assessing outcomes from 29 study groups across the region. The same report confirmed that cholesterol is rising substantially in Asia.
The Link Between Cholesterol and Stroke
In addition to being a leading cause of heart attacks, high cholesterol is emerging as a major risk factor for what is known as ischaemic stroke. In this type of stroke, the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off because either atherosclerosis or a blood clot has blocked a blood vessel. This is in contrast with the other type of stroke that is known as haemorrhagic, where a blood vessel bursts, allowing blood to leak into an area of the brain.
With an ischaemic stroke, blockage can occur anywhere from the heart along the arterial pathways to the brain. For example, high cholesterol can cause a large deposit of fatty material (atherosclerosis) to develop in a carotid artery (supplying blood to the head), reducing its blood flow to a trickle or to stop completely. This condition is serious because each carotid artery normally supplies a large percentage of the brain's blood supply. Fatty material may also break off from the wall of a carotid artery, travel with the blood, and become stuck in a smaller artery, blocking it completely. Clots can also develop, break off and travel from chambers in the heart to block the brain arteries.
Cholesterol Treatment to Reduce Stroke Risk
As use of the latest main group of drugs (known as the "statin" class) used to reduce cholesterol continues to grow around the region, researchers are discovering new ways for these drugs to help prevent other dangers caused by high cholesterol, including stroke, in addition to heart attacks.
"The ASCOT (Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial) study was stopped last year -- two years earlier than planned -- inpart because of the major benefits seen to reduce stroke when patients with existing high blood pressure were treated with atorvastatin (sold as "Lipitor")," said Professor Tonkin.
"Another large multinational study with Lipitor is ongoing to specifically determine its impact on reducing the risk of a second stroke among patients who have already suffered an attack."
Patients Still Not Aggressively Treated
Tonkin emphasized that despite newer, proven treatments, studies continue to confirm that even when patients with high blood pressure are receiving treatment but do not reach their target levels, the vast majority of physicians do not alter the originally prescribed treatment.
"In addition to more aggressive treatment, we need to find better ways to make it easy for patients to continue with their treatment, whether it's diet and exercise, home monitoring or medication," said Tonkin.
Who is at Risk?
According to Professor Andrew Tonkin, Head, Cardiovascular Research Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, the old paradigm of assessing risk must be adjusted to reflect the multiple factors contributing to risk.
"Traditionally, conventional risk factors for stroke have been considered by physicians in isolation," said Professor Tonkin, "but we must expand our focus to include absolute risk assessment, metabolic syndrome, cholesterol and diabetes, as well as factors that will prevent patients from successfully committing to their prescribed treatment." In line with this approach, Professor Tonkin is leading a group implementing the Absolute Risk approach for patients in Australia. The tools being used provide a detailed, individualised risk analysis based on each patient's clinical and test profile and their medical history.
Contact:
Weber Shandwick
Valerie Tan
+65-9367-3674
Jill Mortensen
+852-9732-8422
SOURCE: Weber Shandwick on behalf of Pfizer
--Distributed by AsiaNet (www.asianetnews.net)--