Cholesterol-lowering drugs don't offset healthy choices, study findsAugust 02, 2007ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Within the medical field, it is often assumed that patients view cholesterol-lowering medications (or statins) as a license to eat whatever they like -- they figure their medication has them covered, so a steak here and there won't hurt. However, a study published in the August issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings finds that such patients don't tend to adopt unhealthy diets when prescribed statins. Researchers also found that some patients were placed on cholesterol-lowering drugs before they'd made a good faith effort at improving their lifestyle to better their health. And some said they would have preferred starting with lifestyle alterations rather than medication. Devin Mann, M.D., lead author of the article on statin use, says physicians should reconsider how they're treating patients who seek preventive care for cardiovascular disease, namely by giving up their long-held assumptions about them. "Physicians aren't good at predicting patient behavior, so they should seek to form a partnership of trust with patients based on mutual respect and optimal communication," says Dr. Mann from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. This study involved 71 patients who had been prescribed statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Patients were interviewed at the time of prescription and three and six months later, when no significant change in saturated fat intake was noted. Mayo Clinic |
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| Related Statins Current Events and Statins News Articles Early end to key study on benefits of niacin, a B vitamin, in keeping arteries open was premature Heart experts at Johns Hopkins are calling premature the early halt of a study by researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center on the benefits of combining extended-release niacin, a B vitamin, with cholesterol-lowering statin medications to prevent blood vessel narrowing. Researchers mobilizing global resources to test new treatments for severe H1N1 infection An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic. Widely used cholesterol-lowering drug may prevent progression Simvastatin, a commonly used, cholesterol-lowering drug, may prevent Parkinson's disease from progressing further. Neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center conducted a study examining the use of the FDA-approved medication in mice with Parkinson's disease and found that the drug successfully reverses the biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes caused by the disease. Statins show dramatic drug and cell dependent effects in the brain Besides their tremendous value in treating high cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart disease, statins have also been reported to potentially lower the risks of other diseases, such as dementia. Cholesterol-lowering medicines may be effective against cancer Statins lower cholesterol by blocking certain enzymes involved in our metabolism. Adding ezetimibe to atorvastatin improves lipid control Adding ezetimibe to atorvastatin significantly boosted the attainment of lipid targets as specified by both Canadian and European guidelines in elderly patients aged 65 and older and the combination produced superior results than simply increasing the dose of atorvastatin alone. Use of statins favors the wealthy, creating new social disparities in cholesterol Since the introduction of statins to treat high cholesterol, the decline in lipid levels experienced by the wealthy has been double that experienced by the poor. Women with Atrial Fibrillation Are at Significantly Higher Risk of Stroke and Death Compared to Men and Receive Less Attention Even though the incidence of atrial fibrillation is higher in men than women, a review of past studies and medical literature completed by cardiac experts at Rush University Medical Center shows that women are more likely than men to experience symptomatic attacks, a higher frequency of recurrences, and significantly higher heart rates during atrial fibrillation, which increases the risk of stroke. Pre-hospital organization: The first links in the chain of survival for heart attack patients Mortality rate following a heart attack has fallen by more than 50% in Europe over the past 25 years. However, because only minor advances in the medical treatment of AMI are expected over the next decade, it is through organisational changes in the pre-hospital phase that mortality rate will continue this decline to below 5%. Fatostatin' is a turnoff for fat genes A small molecule earlier found to have both anti-fat and anti-cancer abilities works as a literal turnoff for fat-making genes, according to a new report in the August 28th issue of the journal Chemistry and Biology, a Cell Press journal. More Statins Current Events and Statins News Articles |
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