United Kingdom (Commonwealth Union)_ The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the official agency that forms national guidelines for health and care, has suggested that statins can be considered for individuals with no history of heart attack or stroke and whose 10-year risk is lower than 10 percent. Similar to the prior guideline, the current draft suggests offering statins to those whose risk exceeds 10%.
Some individuals with a low risk of cardiovascular disease may live longer if they take statins. The new guidelines suggest that people at low risk should consult with their primary care physicians and make treatment decisions based on specific circumstances. It states that a 20mg dosage of atorvastatin may be considered for these low-risk individuals if they choose to take a statin to minimize their risk, or if there is worry that their risk of a heart attack or stroke may have been underestimated.
According to NICE, “The evidence is clear, in our view, that for people with a risk of 10% or less over 10 years, statins are an appropriate choice to reduce that risk.” It further states that for every 1,000 individuals who take a statin and who have a 5% chance of developing heart disease or a stroke during the following 10 years, approximately 20 will be protected from developing heart disease or a stroke. According to the new draft recommendations, statins can be prescribed for all 85-year-olds and all individuals with type 1 diabetes.
The latest NICE recommendation is that those with a 10% or greater risk of developing a cardiovascular event, including a heart attack or stroke, during the following decade should be provided a statin. According to NICE, boosting this number would have the greatest impact on decreasing the number of heart attacks and strokes. Currently, only approximately half of those who are eligible for statins actually take them. The present guideline remains in effect while the proposed guidance is further evaluated, including feedback from specialists and the public. The final guidelines are expected to be released by May 2023.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is England’s health advising authority, and the rest of the United Kingdom also follows its recommendations. Statins are drugs that lower cholesterol levels in the blood and protect the inner walls of the arteries. They are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 7-8 million individuals using them. The primary care physician or cardiologist will choose the optimal statin for the patient based on their medical history and the level of cholesterol in their body.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the blood that is produced mostly by the liver. It plays a crucial part in the function of your cells and aids in the production of vitamin D and hormones that promote healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. A high level of cholesterol can block arteries, leading to conditions such as heart disease. Moreover, cholesterol reduction reduces the risk of heart and circulation illnesses, including angina, heart attacks, and stroke. Similar to many other drugs, statins also have certain side effects. The most frequent adverse effects are muscle aches and pains. However, many individuals experience none.
According to a recent research supported by the British Heart Foundation, though statins are associated with a slight increase in the risk of muscle pain and weakness, they do not induce the major muscle pain symptoms commonly associated with them. According to NICE, “The best evidence shows that most people don’t get muscle pains with statins, and many more people will get muscle pains whether they take statins or not, than have muscle pain caused by statins.”
