Statins

2023 - 1 - 13

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Image courtesy of "British Heart Foundation"

NICE recommends statins should be a choice for more people to ... (British Heart Foundation)

New draft guidance from NICE has recommended that more people can be considered for statins to reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

For people with a risk of 20 percent NICE estimates that, on average, around 70 people would not get heart disease or have a stroke in the next 10 years. NICE estimates that under this new recommendation, on average, for every 1,000 people with a risk of five per cent over the next 10 years who take a statin, about 20 people will not get heart disease or have a stroke because they take a statin. This figure doubles to 40 for people with a risk of 10 per cent.

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Image courtesy of "ITV News"

Statins could be offered to 15 million more people in England under ... (ITV News)

The guidance affects those with a future risk of heart attack and stroke and comes as new evidence has suggested more people could benefit from the ...

"The evidence is clear, in our view, that for people with a risk of 10% or less over ten years, statins are an appropriate choice to reduce that risk. With fresh revelations from our Number 10 sources, in their own words, listen to the inside story... The figure doubles to 40 for people with a risk of 10%, and for people with a risk of 20%, Nice estimates that, on average, around 70 people would not get heart disease or have a stroke in the next ten years. It was one of the biggest news stories of our time - and it's still not over. Nice’s estimates suggest that for every 1,000 people with a risk of 5% over the next ten years who take a statin, about 20 people will not get heart disease or have a stroke because they take the pill. Up until now, people with a 10% or higher risk over ten years of suffering a cardiovascular event - such as a heart attack or stroke - are routinely offered a statin to combat the chances of falling ill.

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Image courtesy of "Daily Mail"

The TRUTH on statins: Are the cholesterol-busting pills safe? (Daily Mail)

Statins cost as little as 2p per pill and have been credited with saving millions of lives by preventing heart attacks and strokes but thousands have ...

Interactive map reveals up to one in 14 people were infected in UK's worst-hit boroughs last week - but cases are tumbling despite warnings of 'Kraken' surge ](/health/article-11631815/How-rife-Covid-area-Interactive-map-reveals-one-14-people-infected.html) Cases of illness caused by Strep A bug soared to highest level since the 1950s last year, data shows - as map reveals worst-hit regions](/health/article-11622587/UK-suffers-worst-year-scarlet-fever-1950s.html) [Are striking NHS staff on brink of new £3bn pay deal? The test, available on its website or lower down in this MailOnline article is for adults aged between 30 and 95 Statins are a form of preventative medicine, i.e. However, many of these supposed symptoms — including memory loss, diabetes and headaches — may actually be a result of other lifestyle factors but Treasury says he'll have to raid his OWN budget'](/health/article-11631187/NHS-strikes-Steve-Barclay-admits-medics-deserve-one-cash-boost.html) [How rife is Covid in YOUR area? The TRUTH about statins: Landmark NHS move to let ANYONE ask for life-saving pills reignites decades-long row over their safety... He added that Nice is not saying statins should be used alone and that it will be the responsibility of GPs to explain how people can reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease and the benefits and risks of taking the daily pills. Some other studies have also linked the pills to an increased risk of cataracts and diabetes though this disputed for the former and considered a very minor risk for the latter. [How old is YOUR heart? Atorvastatin is approved. Statins are a family of drugs designed to reduce the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad-cholesterol, in the blood.

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Image courtesy of "pharmaphorum"

NICE says statins should be used more widely in NHS - (pharmaphorum)

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs could be available to millions more patients in the UK, if new recommendations from health technology assessment (HTA) ...

“Parallel work to help people improve their lifestyles, walking more, eating better, is needed to maximise health gains,” he said. Current modelling suggests 40 avoided cardiovascular events in patients with risk between 10% and 20%, and 70 for those above the 20% threshold. The new guidance means that around 15 million people in England alone could be eligible for treatment.

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Image courtesy of "LBC"

15m more patients in England to be offered statins to cut heart attack ... (LBC)

Millions more people with a future risk of heart attack and stroke may be able to choose whether they take statins under new guidance.

It is imperative that we do not overtreat and over medicalise people, and that clinicians look beyond a risk calculator to measure someone's risk– considering all the various factors potentially impacting on a patient's health." The decision should be based on a conversation with your GP, and should be combined with other measures such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly to get the most benefit." However, the decision to start this medication, which needs to be taken on a on a long-term basis, is very much a personal choice.

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Image courtesy of "Evening Standard"

What are statin pills and how do they reduce the risk of heart attacks ... (Evening Standard)

High levels of LDL cholesterol can potentially lead to hardened and narrowed arteries, and cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes. Whether ...

[NHS](/topic/nhs) prescribes to patients. There are a number of characteristics that increase the risk of developing this side effect, including being over 70, having a history of liver disease, and regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol. What are the side effects of statins? Currently, five types of statin are available and prescribed by doctors in the UK. [ardiovascular disease](https://www.standard.co.uk/topic/heart-disease) is the leading cause of death and disability in the UK. What are statin pills and how do they reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes?

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Image courtesy of "Sky News"

Millions more at risk of heart attack or stroke could be offered statins ... (Sky News)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is suggesting doctors continue to persuade people to live a healthier lifestyle, such as losing weight ...

He added: "We are not advocating that statins are used alone. "The evidence is clear, in our view, that for people with a risk of 10% or less over 10 years, statins are an appropriate choice to reduce that risk." Paul Chrisp, director of the centre for guidelines at NICE, said: "What we're saying is that for people with a less than 10% risk over 10 years of a first heart attack or stroke, the decision to take a statin should be left to individual patients after an informed discussion of benefits and risks. This figure doubles to 40 for people with a risk of 10%, and for people with a risk of 20%, NICE estimates that, on average, around 70 people would not get heart disease or have a stroke in the next 10 years. Data indicates that for every 1,000 people with a risk of 5% over the next 10 years who take a statin, about 20 people will not get heart disease or have a stroke because they take the pill. Until now people with a 10% or higher risk over 10 years of suffering a cardiovascular event - such as a heart attack or stroke - are routinely prescribed the medication to combat the chances of becoming ill.

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Image courtesy of "The Times"

Extending statins to millions more patients (The Times)

This would benefit about one in three people taking the preventive medication, gaining on average eight years of life without a heart attack or stroke. Access ...

[Millions more offered chance to take statins](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/statins-new-nhs-guidelines-nice-uk-xdjdwfl9w)”, Jan 13). Access to Extending statins to millions more patients

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