New Guidelines May Double Use of Statins

Heart disease experts have released new advice that could almost double the use of statin drugs in preventing and treating heart disease. The changes are among four new sets of guidelines from American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. Both groups published them in journals November 12. The guidelines on cholesterol contain the biggest changes. Statin drugs reduce LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and inflammation. They have been shown to help prevent heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Doctors use them to lower LDL to a target number. The new guidelines drop the targets. Instead, they say doctors should assess people’s overall risk of heart disease or stroke. The changes could increase the number of Americans taking statins from 36 million to 70 million.