Statins Benefit Women and Senior Groups

Women and the elderly may see better results with cholesterol-loweringdrugs, according to United Kingdom researchers. Theirstudy included data on 5000 patients who were released from thehospital following a heart attack over an 8-year period. Theresearchers examined the level of cardiovascular outcomes ordeaths in this group and whether they had received statin treatment.

The evidence, from a combined Tayside (Scotland) and Bristol(England) research project, found that individuals treated withstatins had reduced rates of cardiovascular outcomes and death,compared with patients who were not treated. The level of benefitwas observed across all patient groups. Furthermore, thestudy included a higher percentage of women and showed thatthey had positive results. (The findings were reported recently inthe British Medical Journal.)