Increased statin use
Wednesday, 28 May 2008 12:55
Nice has advised statin use for people at risk of CVD
GPs have been encouraged to prescribe more cholesterol-lowering drugs to patients with a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) claims increased use of statins could save hundreds of thousands of lives.
In new guidance, the advisory body says statin therapy should be recommended for adults between the ages of 40 and 75 with clinical evidence of CVD.
In 2005 124,000 people died from CVD, with the disease accounting for one in three of all deaths.
Apart from age and sex, smoking, raised blood pressure and raised cholesterol are the factors which contribute the most to the risk of CVD.
And blood cholesterol is described as the key modifiable risk factor, which can be influenced by dietary change, physical activity and drugs.
Nice claims the new guidelines provide clarity for healthcare professionals on how to manage heart and blood conditions in patients both with and without pre-
existing cardiovascular disease.
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