Are You Taking Statins for No Reason? Find Out Here!

Evaluating methods to guide statin prescriptions for heart disease prevention.

Not everyone with high cholesterol develops heart disease, and some people with “normal” levels still suffer heart attacks. So how do we determine who is actually in danger? Traditional risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, and family history have been used by doctors for years, but they don't necessarily provide the whole picture.

The Game-Changer: Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring

Recent studies now identify that coronary artery calcium (CAC) score as a superior method. This straightforward, non-invasive test measures calcium accumulation in the arteries, providing a more precise picture of heart health and assisting physicians in making more individualized, accurate judgments on who requires statins! Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is an easy, non-invasive CT scan that quantifies the accumulation of calcium in your arteries, which indicates the risk of heart disease. Approach ().

Heart Attack | Heart Attack-Know How | Heart Attack
Heart attack is the death of the heart muscle due to loss of blood supply. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Other names for heart attack include acute myocardial infarction, coronary thrombosis, and coronary occlusion.

‘Over 5,600 patients enrolled to assess effective statin prescription strategies. #hearthealth #medindia’

Who Really Needs Statins? This Study Has Answers!

To identify who benefited the most from statins, the study combined individuals' CAC scoring with conventional risk assessments. Many individuals who were classified as "high risk" using conventional techniques had low calcium scores, indicating that they would not require statins. Significant calcium accumulation, on the other hand, puts certain "low-risk" individuals at higher risk than anticipated. Compared to conventional risk variables like blood pressure and cholesterol, CAC scoring is a more reliable predictor of cardiovascular events because it gives a direct estimate of the load of atherosclerotic plaque.

Not everyone has the same approach for heart disease prevention! Traditional risk assessments do not always provide the whole picture, even though they have been used for years to guide statin prescriptions ().

Thus, Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is the more precise method in identifying who may or may not require statins. This tailored approach can help cut down on unnecessary medication while guaranteeing that high-risk individuals receive the care they require. If you're worried about your heart health, ask your doctor if a CAC test is right for you!

Cholesterol Risk Calculator
The Cholesterol risk calculator assesses your risk for heart disease using the result of cholesterol test (lipid profile test).

A Better test means Better decisions and a Healthier Heart for life!

References:

Impact of Statins on Cardiovascular Outcomes Following Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring - (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6309473/)
Who Should Take Statins? A New Study Compares Traditional Risk Factors to Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring in Prescribing Recommendations - (https://bioengineer.org/who-should-take-statins-a-new-study-compares-traditional-risk-factors-to-coronary-artery-calcium-scoring-in-prescribing-recommendations/)

Source-Intermountain Healthcare

Could Coronary Artery Calcium Scan Be Useful In Screening Heart Disease?
A simple CT imaging technique called a coronary artery calcium scan may be particularly useful when screening for coronary artery disease.

Only 6 Percent of Patients Take Statins for Heart Disease
Researchers have found that only about six percent of patients are following the statin regimen prescribed to them to lower their cholesterol.