Millions Taking This Risky Med Shouldn’t Be
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of statin drugs.
I’ve been saying for years that these are the most over-prescribed yet least beneficial drugs on the market.
One study even linked long-term use of statins to (wait for it…) heart disease!
Now, a study has finally proven that I’ve been right all along.
Millions of people take statins to reduce their risk of a heart attack or other cardiovascular event by lowering LDL cholesterol levels.
Statins are prescribed based on the American Heart Association’s 2013 guidelines, which estimate a person’s heart risks based on factors like age, diabetes, and blood pressure.
Now, using more up-to-date information, the AHA has a new calculator to assess the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
This NEW calculator, called PREVENT, incorporates more accurate risk factors like obesity, kidney disease, HbA1c (a marker of blood sugar control), and socioeconomic status.
Researchers used data from 3,785 adults from age 40 to 75 to compare the older guidelines to the newer guidelines.
When they calculated the 10-year risk for heart disease, they determined that 40 percent fewer people met the criteria for a statin prescription under the new calculator (compared to the previous one).
I want to clarify that we’re talking about people who are taking statins for primary prevention—which means they’ve never had a heart attack or stroke.
This adds up to four million people who are currently taking statin drugs unnecessarily.
Are you one of them?
If you’re taking a statin drug, show your doctor the latest research and have your risk reassessed based on the new, more accurate guidelines.
Even with these guidelines, I still question the need for statins in the first place. (And you should too. If your doctor insists that statins are the best option, I would strongly consider seeking a second opinion and exhausting all other options first.)
That being said, if this latest information gets the four million people who don’t need them to stop taking them, I’d consider that an excellent start.
P.S. Don’t fall for this statin dupe!
SOURCE:
Anderson TS, Wilson LM, Sussman JB. Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Estimates Using the Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events Equations. JAMA Intern Med. Published online June 10, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.1302
