Higher doses of statins give people the most benefits

DOUBLING the dosage of statins could prevent thousands of heart attacks a year, a study has shown.

Around seven million Britons are prescribed the cholesterol-lowering drugs, and millions more are eligible. But many do not stick to the correct dosage, so miss out on the full benefits.

The study, by Imperial College and University College London, found that patients who gained the most from the drugs adhered to their prescriptions correctly, and were on a higher dose.

The researchers said that increasing doses may help people get the benefits, even when they miss pills, while boosting the effect for those that follow their prescriptions. They estimated that a switch from 20mg low-intensity drugs to high-intensity medication that is better at lowering cholesterol could prevent an extra 12,000 strokes and heart attacks annually.

Lead author Prof Kausik Ray, of the School of Public Health at Imperial, said: “Long-term adherence achieves better long-term cholesterol reductions and in turn achieves better longterm outcomes for patients. In terms of risk reduction, we can see the people who do the best are those who are adhering to the recommended dosage and are on more potent drug regimens.

“But if someone is not going to take a treatment as recommended, they may actually be better off on higher doses of statins so that, when they are taking the medication, they are achieving greater cholesterol reductions.”

The research was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.