In the UK it is currently recommended that a statin should be prescribed to lower cholesterol for a patient in whom the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years is 20% ie 1 in 5.
NICE - the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - is now consulting on its proposal to reduce the threshold for prescribing a statin to a 10% ie 1 in 10 risk of cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years.
Here are my comments within the 12th February 2014 Science Media Centre briefing on this new draft guidance from NICE:
"Heart disease, strokes and other serious
disorders of the circulation are a major cause of premature ill health and
death.
Statins can help to prevent and reduce the severity of these
serious medical problems.
This initiative from NICE is important in extending
to many more people protection from serious cardiovascular risk.
Clear
information will need to be made available on two key points: the need to
combine statin use with a healthy lifestyle and addressing the other risk
factors commonly present in people with high cholesterol, and information on
the balance of risk versus benefit for these powerful medicines."
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