Make Statins Mandatory for People Aged Over 55, Says Expert

One of the leading doctors in Britain, Professor Sir Nicholas Wald has recommended that instead of considering the risk factors, everyone over the age of 55 years should be prescribed with statins since it helps reduce cholesterol.

Sir Nicholas conducted a study in which he found that prescribing statins to those over 55 years of age will help doctors achieve a 84 percent accuracy in diagnosing heart diseases. Currently only those who have a 20 percent risk of heart attacks later in their lives are prescribed statins.

However Sir Nicholas said that instead of measuring the risk factors, the drug should be prescribed for everyone over 55 years of age and argued that lowering of cholesterol will benefit even those who do not have a risk of heart disease.

"This study shows that age screening for future cardiovascular disease is simpler than current assessments, with a similar screening performance and cost effectiveness. Is also avoids the need for blood tests and medical examinations. Prevention is better than measurement", he wrote in his study which has been published in the journal PLoS ONE.

Source: Medindia

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