Yang Z, Wang H, Edwards D, et al. - By analyzing data from relevant randomized, controlled trials or observational cohort studies identified from MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and trial registries, researchers examined the link between blood lipids, atherosclerosis, or statin use and dementia or cognitive impairment in a patients who had experienced a stroke. For crude and maximally adjusted ORs and HRs, a separate meta-analysis was performed. The investigators analyzed 56 studies involving 38,423 patients who had suffered from a stroke. The pooled OR of dementia and cognitive impairment was 1.32 and 1.23, respectively, for coronary heart disease, and 2.67 and 3.34, respectively, for carotid stenosis. A link between peripheral artery disease and dementia and cognitive impairment was also identified. A possible association of atherosclerosis with an increased risk of post-stroke dementia was also suggested in this study. Reduced risk of cognitive impairment was observed in correlation with post-stroke statin use.