New evidence shows that not everyone is a good candidate for these drugs.
Statins were first developed back in the late 1950s. The medication presented a way to help lower bad cholesterol and prevent heart attacks and stroke.
The first version of the pills was recalled from the market because they caused some bad side effects including cataracts but since then, the pharmaceutical world has refined their recipe and the sale of statins now forms a multi-billion dollar industry.
In 2005, sales were estimated to be towering around $18.7 billion dollars in the U.S alone. Pfizer has been raking in the most profits.
But how essential are statins, really, to good health?
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Many doctors and patients have come to view these drugs as a necessary part of daily life. Others, however, have linked the medication to deadly liver cancer and other scary ailments.
And a new study has added to the evidence against this treatment. It shows that if you are in otherwise good health, the drugs don’t seem to be necessary at all.
Researchers from the University Institute for Primary Care Research Jordi Gol (IDIAPJGol) and Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) have determined that statins are not associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease or death in healthy people over the age of 75.
Once you reach 85, if you’re living with type 2 diabetes however, things change. In this category, statins are related to a reduction in cardiovascular disease and death from any cause. Before this though, it’s not the case.
The takeaway? Eating a balanced, healthy diet and getting enough exercise could be enough to keep you in the clear.
For more on the study described above, click here.
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