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‘Gamechanging’ heart disease drug approved for use in England
Doctors say inclisiran will prevent tens of thousands of deaths from heart attack and strokePatients in England are to start receiving a “gamechanger” drug that doctors say will protect tens of thousands of lives by cutting the number of people who have a heart attack or stroke.The treatment, inclisiran, works by boosting the liver ’s ability to reduce the body’s level of “bad” cholesterol, even in those who have already tried using statins.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - August 31, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Denis Campbell Health policy editor Tags: Drugs Health Heart attack Stroke UK news NHS National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Source Type: news

Statins do not cause muscle aches and pains, study finds
UK researchers seek to dispel concerns over pills prescribed for those at higher risk of heart attack and strokesStatins are generally not the cause of the muscle aches and pains that stop some people taking the pills prescribed to protect them against serious heart problems, according to a novel study that hopes to dispel some of the concerns.Two million people in the UK who are at higher risk of heart attack and strokes are eligible for statins, but many people refuse them or have stopped taking them because of sometimes alarming and widespread reports of muscle pain. But the study funded by the National Institute of Hea...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - February 24, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Sarah Boseley Health editor Tags: Statins Medical research Health Ageing UK news Heart attack Stroke Heart disease Science Society Source Type: news

'Bad cholesterol' levels should be checked from age of 25 - study
Understanding risks early on could help protect from disease later in life and ‘offer chance to take statins or adjust diet’All adults as young as 25, as well as older people, need to know of their “bad cholesterol” levels so they can change their lifestyle or take drugs to protect themselves against heart attacks or strokes in later life, say scientists.A landmark study involving data from nearly 400,000 people in 19 countries has established for the first time that levels of non-HDL, or “bad cholesterol”, in the blood are closely linked to the risk of heart disease across the entire life course.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - December 3, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Sarah Boseley Health editor Tags: UK news Health Heart attack Stroke Young people Older people Nutrition Science Obesity World news Source Type: news

'Fake news and ageism' keeping statins from older people
Offering statins to all over-75s could prevent 8,000 deaths from heart failure and stroke, researchers sayThousands of deaths and the wrecking of many lives by disability could be averted if doctors routinely offered a daily statin pill to older people, scientists say.They blame misinformation about the side-effects of statins, together with society ’s ageism, for the low uptake among older people, who are at highest risk of heart attacks, heart failure and stroke.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - January 31, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Sarah Boseley Health editor Tags: Statins Heart attack Heart disease Stroke Older people Health Medical research Society Science UK news Source Type: news

How too much medicine can kill you | Aseem Malhotra
It’s patients who lose out if doctors and professional journals stop asking the right questionsDuring a recent clinic consultation, I saw Mary, in her early 60s, with type 2 diabetes. She was concerned that the muscle pains in her legs may have been a result of the cholesterol-lowering statin drug she was taking. “But I’m scared of stopping it.” She explained how a specialist nurse had told her a clot could break off from her aorta, travel to her brain and cause a massive stroke.I assured her that even in those with established heart disease, who stand to gain most from taking the drug, the risk of death from stopp...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - November 1, 2015 Category: Science Authors: Aseem Malhotra Tags: NHS Health Pharmaceuticals industry Drugs policy Politics Science Doctors Society Business UK news Source Type: news

Should I take statins?
Since 80% of cardiovascular disease is caused by lack of exercise, poor diet and smoking, it would be better to address these factors rather than pop a statinShould everyone over 50 be taking statins? asked an editorial in the Lancet last year. No, said an analysis article in last week's BMJ. Statins, in case you've escaped the hype, are drugs that block an enzyme in the liver that's needed to make cholesterol (we make it as well as eat it). Statins reduce levels of low density lipoproteins – the bad cholesterol that furs up arteries and can cause heart disease. But is there any benefit in taking a statin if yo...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 27, 2013 Category: Science Authors: Luisa Dillner Tags: The Guardian Medical research Health & wellbeing Human biology Drugs Features Life and style Science Source Type: news