Lipid profile in Jordanian patients with first ever ischemic stroke

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between lipid profile, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (TG) in Jordanian patients admitted with first ever ischemic stroke (IS) to a teaching hospital over a 3-year-period, and compared them to a control group.

METHODS: A retrospective case control study of all patients with diagnosis of IS who were admitted to the Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan from January 2004 to December 2006 and had a documented fasting lipid profile within 48 hours of their admission. They were compared to controls without IS.

RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients with IS were studied and compared to 98 control subjects. Both patients and control groups were similar regarding age, gender distribution, prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and smoking. The lipid profile showed a significantly lower HDL level in IS patients compared to the control group. There were no significant differences between the patients and control regarding TC, LDL, or TG levels. Control group used statins more frequently than patients (28% versus 10%, p=0.002). Both groups had high prevalence of risk factors.

CONCLUSION: Though this study is limited by its retrospective design, it suggests that IS patients have significantly lower levels of HDL.