In a new study from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, researchers found that the link between ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL-C) and poor health outcomes, such as heart attack and stroke, may not be as strong as previously thought.
The finding questions the efficacy of statins when prescribed with the aim of lowering LDL-C and therefore reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Previous research has suggested that using statins to lower LDL-C positively affects health outcomes, and this is reflected in the various iterations of expert guidelines for the prevention of CVD.
Statins are now commonly prescribed by doctors, with one-third of Irish adults over the age of 50 taking statins, according to previous research.
The new findings contradict this theory, finding that this relationship was not as strong as previously thought.
Instead, the team showed that lowering LDL-C using statins had an inconsistent and inconclusive impact on CVD outcomes such as myocardial infarction (MI), stoke, and all-cause mortality.
In addition, it showed that the overall benefit of taking statins may be small and will vary depending on an individual’s personal risk factors.
The team says the message has long been that lowering your cholesterol will reduce your risk of heart disease, and that statins help to achieve this.
However, this research indicates that, in reality, the benefits of taking statins are varied and can be quite modest.
The researchers go on to suggest that this updated information should be communicated to patients through informed clinical decision-making and updated clinical guidelines and policy.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how to control your cholesterol effectively to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and findings of common food that may strongly increase heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about high blood pressure drugs that may increase risk of this heart disease, and results showing common drug for blood sugar control may treat heart failure.
The study is published in JAMA Internal Medicine and was conducted by Dr. Paula Byrne et al.
Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
