That Happened!

New York - Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing one person every 34 seconds. Almost everyone is either a victim of heart disease or knows someone who is. Heart disease is especially prevalent in the elderly and infirm, making it a disease which preys upon those least able to defend against it. With so much to worry about, it’s no wonder that there has been so much of an emphasis on prevention.

The frustrating part about heart disease is that it is largely preventable. Persons who are not genetically predisposed to heart attacks will never have them provided that they maintain a proper diet and exercise.

The problem is that it is hard to tell who is genetically predisposed to heart attacks, and even a person who is at risk might be percvectly safe due to good genetic luck or poor eating habits practice by his/her ancestors. As such, an emphasis is put on developing good heart health for all persons, since anyone can fall victim to heart disease and it’s hard to determine who is most at risk for a heart attack.

Luckily a big breakthrough in regards to heart disease prevention has been made. For years, doctors have been proscribing “Statins” to lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood of persons who are at high risk for heart disease.

These drugs, while expensive, are easy to take and are known to be safe, having been well studied since their discovery in Japan in the 1970s. Many persons are familiar with the trade names of Statins, such as Lipitor, Vytorin and Advicor.

While it has been known for years that these drugs are extremely effective at helping those most at risk for heart attacks, recent studies show that even persons who are at low risk for heart attack, or who would not be thought to be at risk, are in fact made even less likely to have a heart attack if they take statins.

“Physicians can no longer assume that patients are at low risk for heart disease simply because they have low cholesterol. We have confirmed that patients with increased hsCRP are at high risk even if cholesterol levels are low, and we now have evidence that a simple and safe therapy cuts that risk and saves lives,” said Paul Ridker, MD, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and lead author of the study.

While there are considerations regarding cost and the fact that statins must be taken daily to be effective, this offers hope to persons concerned about good heart health. Statins promise to make heart attacks a thing of the past if used responsibly, and they appear to be the greatest new tool in heart attack prevention.