I’m going to beat the statins drum once again! Very few drugs have had the impact on cardiovascular disease than statins. They have “revolutionized” the care of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) and the prevention of arteriosclerotic heart and circulatory disease. Both for primary and secondary prevention, statins have impacted statistics by reducing heart attacks, arterial blockages in the neck and lower extremities, and sudden cardiac deaths. Primary prevention means preventing people from having a first cardiovascular event, and secondary prevention means preventing a second, or subsequent event, after the first one.
An online medical publication, PracticalCardiology.com, recently published the results of conversations conducted with six physicians who are experts in the field of “cardiometabolic health.” These physicians have all treated patients with cardiovascular disease. Plus they have done extensive research into the role of cholesterol in causing, and the use of statins in preventing, cardiovascular disease. These physicians all said the same things:
- Statin drugs lower LDL-C very effectively
- Statin drugs are inexpensive
- Statin drugs are safe to use in everybody, except pregnant women
- Statin drugs should be started early. Don’t prescribe statins for elevated LDL-C alone. Prescribe them for smokers and patients with high blood pressure and family history of cardiovascular disease even if total cholesterol and LDL-C are normal.
- Treat LDL-C aggressively with a high enough dose to reach LDL-C goal
- Statin use is imperative for primary prevention
One doctor, an endocrinologist, said, “I do think statins are one of the key primary prevention drugs that we have….the risk with a statin is so minimal and the benefit so great, I personally feel statins should be in the drinking water, unless you’re a woman who is going to get pregnant or already is.” Where have you heard that before?
Dr. G’s Opinion: I agree 100%. These are the same comments I’ve made many times myself. If you’re not on a statin, you should find out why. If you’re overweight, borderline hypertensive, smoke, don’t exercise, or have a family history of heart disease, you need to see your doctor for him to prescribe a statin. Don’t put it off. The statistics definitely favor taking a statin. They will never be put in the drinking water so don’t plan on that, but do plan to call your doctor ASAP.
Reference: https://www.practicalcardiology.com/view/rethinking-statins-time-for-primordial-prevention.
