Statins greatly cut risk of heart attacks

STATINS slash the risk of dying of heart attacks or strokes by 28%, a study has found.

Scientists say the benefits of the cholesterol-busting pills are so clear they should be offered to patients in their 30s and 40s.

The 20-year trial – the biggest of its kind – looked at 5 529 men aged 45 to 64 who were in relatively good health.

Half were given a weak type of statin to take once a day for between five and 20 years, while the remainder were given a placebo which has no therapeutic effect.

Those who took statins were 28% less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke within the 20-year time frame.

They were also 25% less likely to suffer a heart attack during that period.

Although the study only looked at men, the scientists from Imperial College London say similar benefits would be seen in women.

Statins work by lowering the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood.

Many doctors and patients are worried about the long-term effect of taking the drugs, which have been linked to diabetes, muscular pain and memory loss. But supporters say statins should be prescribed more widely to prevent thousands of early deaths.

Previous research has found statins are effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes in patients who have already suffered from either or both.

But this study, published in the journal Circulation, showed they were also beneficial in men who were in relatively good health, with no history of heart disease.

Those who took part in the study had high cholesterol, which causes blood vessels to become blocked and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. – Daily Mail