The treatment of high cholesterol – What is the advantage? Understanding Statins and NNT
Posted By online pharmacy on September 21, 2011
The treatment of high cholesterol – What is the advantage? Understanding Statins and NNT
Everyone knows that high cholesterol can be bad for your health. Most people understand this refers to the risk of heart attack, and many are aware of the fact that the accumulation of cholesterol and is associated with stroke.
Statins are a group of drugs that lower cholesterol levels, reducing the rate of production of cholesterol in the body. It is not known, however, if this is the mechanism by which it reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Statins may do something differentan advantage. Apparently the drugs that lower cholesterol by different mechanisms are not effective in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The statin Zocor, Lipitor, Crestor, Mevacor, Pravachol and Lescol. It has been shown that statins reduce the risk of death from any cause, death from heart attack and stroke, as well as non-fatal cardiovascular events.
The patient may assume the risk of these drugs is not a great deal, but the results are as optimistic as you canexpected.
For patients who already have diabetes or cardiovascular disease, taking statins regularly over five years reduces the risk of death from any cause by 9.6% to 8.5%. To achieve this reduction, 86 patients will be treated to a death (the number needed to treat, NNT) to prevent. Statin reduced the risk of death from heart attack or stroke from 4.4% to 3.4%. This requires the treatment of 109 patients to prevent one death.
Statins for most patientsunder the age of 65 years. In this age group, 68 patients must be treated to prevent one cardiovascular event. In patients over 65 years, 111 patients requiring this treatment. In 326 women aged over 65 are treated for five years for a cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, stroke, and others) to avoid the Lancet, according to a meta-analysis in the medical journal, 8 with a statin: For women the numbers are particularly bleak. October 2005.
If you think that people who probably considered himself aStatins may reduce the risk of at least half. Not so.
That's why the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend for or against screening women for high cholesterol that are not otherwise at risk of cardiovascular disease. Other risk factors include smoking, family history, diabetes and obesity.
If you were 80 years, would be a drug that has a 1 in 326 can help? I would not do. How about if you're 55 and 1 in 10 chance to saveLife? These are the types of questions you should consult your doctor before starting treatment for high cholesterol represent. The goal is not only the number of a laboratory test should be reduced. The goal is to reduce the risk of potentially fatal or disabling disease.
Copyright 2010 Cynthia J. Kolker, MD
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