Scientists from the Oregon Health & Science University found that people aged 40 to 75 years at high risk for heart disease should receive statins.
This finding forms the basis of a final recommendation statement by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
In the study, the team updated the 2016 review on statins for the primary prevention of CVD. Data were included from 26 studies.
The researchers found that statins were significantly associated with a reduced risk for all-cause mortality, stroke, heart attack, and composite cardiovascular outcomes.
The association with heart disease death was not significant.
In groups defined by demographic and clinical characteristics, relative benefits were consistent, but data were limited for those older than 75 years.
Based on these findings, the USPSTF recommends that statins should be prescribed for primary prevention of CVD in adults aged 40 to 75 years with no CVD history and with one or more CVD risk factors and an estimated 10-year CVD event risk of 10 percent or greater.
For adults aged 40 to 75 years with no history of CVD and who have one or more of these CVD risk factors and an estimated 10-year CVD event risk of 7.5 to <10 percent, statins may be selectively offered.
For those aged 76 years or older with no history of CVD, the evidence is insufficient to determine the balance of benefits and harms of statin use.
Scientists say that statins effectively and safely prevent first heart attacks and strokes for some people.
Whether someone should start taking a statin depends on their age and their risk of having a first heart attack or stroke.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies about combo therapy that can cut risk of heart attack and stroke by half, and people who don’t exercise may die instantly in a heart attack.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies that eating more white bread may increase your risk of heart attack, and results showing these high blood pressure drugs may increase heart failure risk.
The research was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and conducted by Roger Chou et al.
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