do not support a substantial risk reduction . Researchers say statins should be prescribed with caution in those at low risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Given the low absolute risk in these individuals, the use of statins should be discussed with the expectation that it would not significantly impact 10-year risk, but perhaps longer term, or lifetime risk. Based on the results of this survival meta-analysis, the authors suggest that statins may be most appropriate for adults aged 50-75 years with a life-expectancy >2.5 years, assuming that the patients truly have a low risk of cardiovascular disease. ... Second, the CTT Collaborators are notably selective in their handling of subgroup analyses, prominently reporting that low-risk patients with no vascular disease seem to show a mortality benefit in the statin group. However, the findings in the largest meta-analysis on the association of statins and risk of VTE by Rahimi et al. The 10-year coronary heart disease risk was low (median: 6.9%). WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs can help prevent heart disease in seniors, but the medications also carry the risk … The overwhelming body of evidence supports their use, even in people at low risk of cardiovascular disease. 50,54 This includes older patients and those with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. Macchia A(1), Mariani J, Romero M, Robusto F, Lepore V, Dettorre A, Tognoni G. The cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins have demonstrated substantial benefits in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes caused by blood clots (ischemic strokes) in at-risk patients. In 2005, almost every newspaper's front page covered the findings of a meta-analysis (a study combining lots of smaller related studies) involving over 90,000 people taking statins.It showed that for every 1 mmol/L that 'bad' LDL cholesterol was lowered using statins, the risk of heart attack, related surgery or stroke was reduced by 21% and the risk of dying by 12%. One side of the argument states that in low-risk patients, clinicians should focus on lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise and smoking cessation. They do not discuss, however, the absence of eff ect on coronary mor- Next Article Statins for people at low risk of cardiovascular disease. A recent study concluded that statins are good for low risk patients.This study (Univ. 2,3 The cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins have demonstrated substantial benefits in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes caused by blood clots (ischemic strokes) in at-risk patients. Stream Statins: benefits and harms for low risk patients by BMJ talk medicine from desktop or your mobile device Statins are one of the most common medicines prescribed in the U.S., with more than 35 million people taking them. Results. Statin therapy reduces the risk for a heart attack or other cardiovascular event by as much as 48 percent, depending on the level of risk factors you have. Cholesterol-lowering statins are first line treatments for heart patients and the benefits are well established. Medications to lower blood pressure have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease in people with elevated blood pressure and those at high risk, and statins have been shown to benefit those at high risk. On the hypothetical universal use of statins in primary prevention: an observational analysis on low-risk patients and economic consequences of a potential wide prescription rate. Given that low cholesterol has been shown to increase the risk of death from other causes, statins may do more harm than good in some patients. The risk fell slightly further when patients also took blood pressure drugs. Lifestyle factors—including lack of exercise, tobacco use, and unhealthy diet—account for 80% of cardiovascular disease. Rhabdomyolysis can cause severe muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure and death. The use of statins in primary prevention is not a standard of care and the decision to initiate therapy should be based off a careful assessment of risk … Patients with liver failure, renal insufficiency, hypothyroidism, advanced age and serious infections are more prone to experiencing such adverse reactions. Statin-induced diabetes is most prevalent in persons already at high risk for developing diabetes. Patient-Dependent: Many risk factors have been identified for statin-associated myopathy, including female gender, advanced age, and low body mass index. Intensive statin therapy may increase the risk of developing diabetes; however, the benefits of statins on cardiovascular events and mortality outweigh the risks. The risk of very serious side effects is extremely low, and calculated in a few cases per million people taking statins. For people at low risk of cardiovascular disease (<10% risk over next five years), statins do not reduce the overall risk of death or serious illness CVD is the most common cause of death, accounting for nearly a third of all deaths worldwide. Given that low cholesterol has been shown to increase the risk of death from other causes, statins may do more harm than good in some patients. This study uses clinical trial results to explore the limits of absolute safety for statin use in such patients. Statins have been shown to reduce cardiovascular events and mortality, so the risk of diabetes should not interfere with patients taking them. from statins in primary prevention.2,3 Second, the CTT Collaborators are notably selective in their handling of subgroup analyses, prominently report ing that low-risk patients with no vascular disease seem to show a mortality benefi t in the statin group. The matched-pair cohort included 5,480 patients (mean age 67 years; 44% women) treated/nontreated with statins. In patients with overt CVD, the guidelines state an optional goal LDL of 70 mg%. Ebrahim and colleagues found 14 trials that tested statins in more than 34,000 patients, most of whom were considered at low risk of heart attack and strokes -- the world’s top killers. The effectiveness of these medicines is now well proven and their cost has fallen. What low risk patients need to know . Statins for people at low risk of heart disease needs rethink, say top doctors. A stroke is caused by blocked blood flow to the brain, and high cholesterol is one of … Current UK guidelines suggest that a statin is prescribed for primary prevention in high-risk patients, defined as when 10-year cardiovascular disease risk exceeds 20%. SECONDARY PREVENTION: HOW LOW SHOULD WE GO? Fortunately, medications called statins are effective at lowering low … The guidelines recommend statins for adults who: We know that statins can be used to protect against more than heart attack – statins also protect against stroke in high-risk patients. The association between statins and low risk of VTE has been corroborated in three meta-analyses , , . 3 Patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, untreated hypothyroidism, and renal or hepatic disease have also been shown to be at increased risk. A very large metaanalysis provides strong evidence that the relative reduction in risk of statins is at least as great in low-risk patients as in high-risk patients. Aims Increasingly HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are being used for primary prevention of vascular disease in patients with a raised cholesterol but at low absolute risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis (rab-doe-my-OL-ih-sis). 50,55 One consistent finding has been that, for each new case of incident diabetes caused by statins, several CVEs can be prevented in higher-risk patients. The Lancet study found that high-risk and low-risk patients who take statins to lower their cholesterol can reduce their risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or heart procedure by 25 percent. On the other side, specific data for patients with cancer are very scarce. The numbers needed to treat of statins is more than 400 for some low-risk patients who are eligible for the medication, researchers have estimated. of Sydney) was actually an analysis of 27 different studies and the conclusion was that statins actually saved the lives of low risk patients, meaning those that have less than a 10% risk of having a heart attack or stroke over the next five years. The purpose of the meta-analysis1 was to evaluate whether statins are effective among patients at low cardiovascular risk (as defined in routine clinical practice). Statins available in the United States include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Altoprev), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor). 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