For the longest time, statins have been used to avert the risk of heart attacks and strokes, given their ability to reduce cholesterol levels in the human body. Consequently, more than 200 million people worldwide take statin drugs to enhance their heart health. On the other hand, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have made a significant discovery and come up with a new risk scale that could alter the use of statins in millions of people.
Through their study, the researchers found that the implementation of the PREVENT scale could potentially reduce the number of Americans requiring statin therapy by a significant 40%. This new guideline, PREVENT, is a novel approach to calculating the risk of heart attack or stroke, offering a beacon of hope for improved heart health.
PREVENT Equation
The researchers conducted a comprehensive study, analyzing data from nearly 3,800 adults aged 40 to 75. They meticulously calculated the risk of each patient developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in 10 years. This was followed by the application of the new PREVENT equation in conjunction with the existing standard, a method aimed at enhancing the accuracy of risk assessment.
The PREVENT equation stands out, considering factors like metabolic diseases, kidney problems, and current statin use in examining patients. The equation also eliminates the controversial use of race as a biological risk factor in examining patients. While applying the new equation, researchers found out that the risk of heart attack or stroke across all patients was just half 4%, the rate that was estimated by the previous standard.
Following the finding, the use of PREVENT in examining patients at risk for heart attacks or stroke and subject to using statin drugs could drop from 45 million to 28 million. Nevertheless, the number of people likely to qualify for statin drugs but currently not using could increase with the use of the PREVENT equation in examination.
