Effects of Serum Cholesterol Level on Severity of Acute Ischaemic Stroke

Background: In recent years, dyslipidemia has become a contentious risk factor for ischemic stroke. Statins are a well-established secondary preventive measure for stroke, nevertheless. The contradictory result that lower mortality following a stroke is associated with greater serum TC levels has also been highlighted by several research. However, a number of investigations were unable to show that elevated TC levels in stroke patients had such a positive predictive impact. The objective is to assess how blood cholesterol levels affect stroke severity as determined by infarct volume. Material and Methods: Between 2023 and 2025, this prospective observational study was carried out at the GEMS Hospital in Srikakulam, India. Results: The study included 100 consecutive patients, 64 (64.0%) of whom were men. Thirty-five (35.0%) of the patients had hypercholesterolemia. When serum cholesterol levels and infarct volume were compared using MRI, 27 patients (37.5%) with modest stroke severity (infarct volume ≤70 ml) had hypercholesterolemia, but the majority (62.5.8%) did not. In the major stroke group (infarct volume ≥70 ml), hypercholesterolemia  was present in 28.6% of patients compared to those without (71.4%). Although the results suggested that hypercholesterolemia was more common in patients with higher stroke severity, the association was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The severity of the stroke as determined by the infarct volume was shown to be inversely correlated with serum cholesterol levels.

Keywords: TC- Total Cholesterol.