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It may be too expensive to treat every person who
has high cholesterol with cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Researchers
state that it makes sense for just about everyone with high cholesterol-both
young and old-to make dietary changes in an effort to reduce their risk
of heart disease.
However, statin therapy is a far more expensive alternative
for preventing the development of cardiovascular disease. The findings
suggest that older people with high cholesterol, or those who already
have heart disease, may benefit most from the drugs. A second study in
the same journal, showed that the drugs were cost effective for elderly
patients with a prior heart attack.
However, an accompanying editorial states "Studies
such as these cannot establish whether statins are effective ... "
The studies support the idea that cholesterol-lowering drugs should be
used mostly in those people who have an increased risk for heart disease
due to a combination of high cholesterol and other risk factors.
Annals of Internal
Medicine 2000;132:769-779, 780-787, 833-835
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