A recent study revealed that elevated cholesterol is being undertreated worldwide, leading to numerous needless cardiac events and strokes.
Researchers stated that more than 39,000 deaths, nearly 100,000 non-deadly cardiac attacks and up to 65,000 strokes could be widely prevented if individuals eligible for statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs were consuming them.
For the study, researchers assessed cardiovascular risk profiles, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol data from up to 5,000 US adults who participated in national health surveys between 2013 and 2020.
Results indicated that among participants who had never suffered a cardiac attack or stroke, 47% of them were eligible for statins under US guidelines. However, 23% got a prescription.
Among those who previously suffered a heart attack or stroke, only 68% got LDL-lowering treatment despite being 100% eligible.
Among those who previously suffered a heart attack or stroke, only 68% got LDL-lowering treatment despite being 100% eligible.
The lead investigator says there are several reasons for these treatment gaps, including “differences in clinician training, patient preferences, barriers to accessing care, financial incentives that don’t always support best practices and the difficulty of putting clinical guidelines into practice in busy, real-world settings.”
Researchers further stated that improved patient education and enhanced screening for statin eligibility are essential for saving lives.
