Statins Therapy

Statins are a class of drugs known to reduce cholesterol levels in the body. Previous studies have shown that statins do lower cholesterols; and thus, reduce the risk of heart diseases. Also, these trials have only assessed the efficacy of statins in a specific population with elevated lipid levels. Hence the benefits of statins in treating intermediate risk patients without heart disease in an ethnically diverse population remain unclear.

In line with the same thought, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine assessed 12,705 participants across 21 countries who did not have heart disease and were at intermediate risk. They were divided into two groups one group was given rosuvastatin at a dose of 10mg per day and the other received placebo.  The study showed that the low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol level was 26.5 per cent lower in the rosuvastatin group compared to the placebo group.

In short, the study showed that low doses of rosuvastatin worked wonders even in those who are at intermediate risk across a diverse population as there was a significant reduction in the risk of heart diseases compared to the placebo group.

Source: The New England Journal of Medicine