A three-decade study has found a connection between elevated levels of blood fats and stroke.

The 31 year Danish study of almost 14,000 adults, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, discovered a direct link between the high levels of triglycerides and an increased risk of ischemic stroke.

The results show that people with the highest levels of triglycerides are three to four times more likely to suffer a stroke then those at the lower end of the spectrum. This is much higher than previous results according to Dr. Borge G. Nordestgaard of Copenhagen University Hospital.

Although previous research linked high triglyceride levels with an increased risk of heart attack, this is the first study to link the blood fats with stroke.

Researchers also discovered that fasting for eight to 12 hours prior to a lipid profile measurement may be unnecessary as patients in the Danish study were tested at any time, regardless of when the subject had last eaten.

Women accounted for 60.8 percent of stoke deaths in 2004 according to the National Heart Association and it is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S.

Some people rely on oral chelation to help them cut their risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.