Talk about irony. Statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs celebrated for their ability to prevent stroke and heart attack, may do more harm than good in some patients.

Patients who have already experienced an intracerebral (bleeding in the brain) are more likely to experience another if they take statins, according to a new study to be published in the May issue of "Archives of Neurology." In these patients, the risks of taking a statin may outweight the benefits, say the scientists who did the research.

Because people who have experienced bleeding in the brain often have high cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors that might warrant statin therapy, "it is important to weigh the risks and benefits of statin therapy in this population," wrote the study's authors, including Dr. M. Brandon Westover, of Massachusetts General Hospital, according to a written statement.

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