Statins reduce risks of heart attack in women

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Women who take a statin can reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 50 per cent, even if they do not have unhealthy cholesterol levels, research suggests.

The trial revealed that a daily dose of Crestor (rosuvastatin) reduced the chances of subsequent cardiovascular events by 46 per cent compared with those who took a placebo.

More than six million people are already  prescribed statins to lower their cholesterol levels, but at present the drugs are given only to those at significant risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Sarah Jarvis, a GP in London and the Royal College of General Practitioners' spokeswoman for women's health, said: ‘Cardiovascular disease can be mistaken as an ‘old man's' disease, while unfortunately the evidence suggests that people are suffering cardiovascular events younger and more women are at risk of developing the disease.

‘There has long been support for the wider use of statins in women but we didn't have the outcomes data to support these recommendations. This data is extremely exciting.'

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Wednesday 18 November 2009

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