Private MD News

Higher statin doses may result in greater cholesterol benefits

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Statin medications are widely prescribed to individuals who have received high cholesterol test results to help them lower their risk of heart disease. However, new findings indicate that broader use may result in further heart health benefits.

Researchers from Oxford University said that their findings show that statins can be effective at lowering cholesterol in higher doses than most physicians currently prescribe. They can even help people with healthy cholesterol levels maintain good heart health.

"Using aggressive statin treatment to lower levels of bad cholesterol further than would be achieved using standard doses produces even greater reductions in the incidence of heart attacks or strokes," said Professor Colin Baigent, who led the study. "This is particularly relevant to people who have had heart attack or stroke and are at risk of recurrent problems."

For the study, researchers reviewed data from 26 previous clinical trials involving nearly 170,000 participants. They found that aggressive statin therapy resulted in an average cholesterol reduction of up to 15 percent beyond standard statin doses.