PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The use of statins to help prevent cardiovascular disease has had a major impact, but who should get the medication?
Statins are medications designed to lower levels of cholesterol and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, which accounts for one in four deaths in the United States.
According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, certain people — particularly in the 40-75 age group — can get the most benefit. Numerous risk factors are considered, but some of the most important ones are smoking, sex, genetic background and age.
Your physician can actually enter these and other factors into a calculator to measure your chances of having a cardiac event in the next decade.
If you have not had a physical exam or had labs performed recently, it is worth the effort to do so now.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.