"Low density lipoprotein, or LDL, the 'bad' cholesterol has been the primary target for reducing the risk of stroke, but these results show that other types of cholesterol may be more strongly linked with stroke risk," study author Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele of University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center, said in a statement.

The study, published in the journal Neurology, found people with high LDL cholesterol did not have an increased risk of large artery atherosclerotic stroke -- a blockage of blood flow to the brain -- but those with high triglycerides and elevated "non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol" were more likely to have this type of stroke.

Ovbiagele studied 1,049 people admitted to a university hospital with stroke, of which 247 had a large artery atherosclerotic stroke.

The study found patients with highest triglycerides were 2.7 times more likely to have this type of stroke than those with the lowest levels, while hose with the highest levels of non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol were 2.4 times more likely.