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A Primary Benefit of Statins
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By Tom Dickey
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Health Insider: Cholesterol July 16, 2009
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Many studies have established that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are effective for secondary prevention—helping prevent heart attacks in people who already have heart disease. But their benefit in primary prevention—for people merely at risk for heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems—has been much debated.
Now, an analysis of 10 major clinical trials involving statins has found that their primary prevention benefit is substantial. Among study participants with risk factors such as diabetes or hypertension, statin use reduced the risk of a heart attack by 30 percent and the risk of death by 12 percent.
Older men with cardiovascular risk factors and older women with diabetes plus other risk factors are likely to benefit the most, say the researchers. Read more about the benefits of statins (exit site, The Job Cure).
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