Statins associated with a 54% increased risk of brain haemorrhage. Higher cholestreol levels associated with reduced risk

This study was published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2016 Mar 21. pii: jnnp-2015-312736

Study title and authors:
Serum cholesterol levels, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage. The Multicenter Study on Cerebral Haemorrhage in Italy (MUCH-Italy).

Pezzini A, Grassi M, Iacoviello L, Zedde M, Marcheselli S, Silvestrelli G, DeLodovici ML
Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Sperimentali, Clinica Neurologica, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italia.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27003275

This study investigated the effects between cholesterol levels and statins on the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage (where blood suddenly bursts into brain tissue, causing damage to the brain). The study included 3,492 patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, (average age 73 years), who were compared with 3,492 control subjects.

The study found:
(a) Each .26 mmol/l (10 mg/dL) increase in cholesterol levels was associated with a 13% decreased risk of  intracerebral haemorrhage.
(b) Statin users had a 54% increased risk of intracerebral haemorrhage compared to nonusers.

Links to other studies:
Patients taking statins after a stroke have a 68% increased risk of suffering another stroke
Statins increase the incidence of liver damage
Statins associated with increased bleeding in the brain in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage