Question:
If I am under the age of 65, have high LDL cholesterol above 160, but no history of heart disease or diabetes, should I take a cholesterol medication to prevent heart attack?
Answer:
Yes
MedHead Confidence Score: 3
Amount Saved: $50,000 median cost of heart attack
MedHead Message:
Cholesterol lowering medication really does reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, or just plain dying, even if you have not had a heart attack or stroke in the past. Additionally, statin medications are now really cheap because they are generic. Side effects can happen such as muscle aches. You may try coenzyme Q10 600mg daily or ubiquinol to help, or you may have your doctor switch you to another statin medication. This is a switch for me as I didn’t think the data was there for primary prevention, but it is. Save the $50,000 hospital stay and buy yourself a new sports car instead (of course while eating your plant-based diet and cholesterol medication!)
References:
- 1. Taylor F, Huffman MD, Macedo AF, Moore THM, Burke M, Davey Smith G, Ward K, Ebrahim S. Statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD004816. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004816.pub5.
- 2. Reiner, Ž. Statins in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Nat Rev Cardiol 10, 453–464 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2013.80
