New cholesterol guidelines released by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology may result in millions of people being unnecessarily given statins to prevent heart attacks and strokes, according to a recent article in The Boston Globe. The treatment recommendations released by the two heart organizations have come under fierce criticism for overestimating the number of people predicted to have a 10-year risk or having a heart attack or stroke by 75 to 150 percent. The treatment guide urges physicians to prescribe statins for patients between ages 40 and 75 whose 10-year-risk is 7.5 percent or greater. "It is possible that as many as 40 to 50 percent of the 33 million middle-aged Americans targeted by the new guidelines for statin therapy do not actually have risk thresholds exceeding the 7.5 percent level suggested for treatment," Dr. Paul Ridker and Nancy Cook, two heart researchers at the Brigham and Women's hospital, wrote in their commentary on the guidelines. Read the full details here: New cholesterol guideline called inaccurate by top Boston heart researchers New guidelines exist for the maintenance of cholesterol and other cardiac lab studies with medications. However, some cardiologist believe these guidelines are flawed. This only serves to confuse the issue for patients seeking to improve their health and lifestyle. If you or anyone in your family has suffered serious side effects or damages from a medication error you should seek legal investigation immediately. Crandall & Pera Law is available to help answer your questions and guide you in determining your next steps.
New Cholesterol Guidelines Spark Debate, Add to Patient Confusion