Association between cholesterol levels and infections after ischemic stroke

Background and purpose Multiple studies have suggested an immunomodulatory role of cholesterol. We investigated whether cholesterol levels are associated with the risk of infectious complications (ICs) in acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods A single‐center prospective cohort was analyzed. Total (TOTc), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were measured within 24 h from admission. The outcome of interest was the occurrence of any IC (pneumonia, urinary tract infection, sepsis, other infection) during hospitalization. Predictors of ICs were investigated with multivariable logistic regression. Results A total of 603 patients were included (median age 78 years, 49.3% males), of whom 134 (22.2%) developed an IC. Subjects with ICs had lower TOTc compared with patients without ICs (median 157 vs. 173 mg/dL; P