Diabetes News
Many women who don’t have heart disease wonder if they should take a statin for prevention. But some who watched the ups and downs of hormone therapy feel a sense of déjà vu about the enthusiasm for these relatively new drugs.
May 31, 2005 (Newswise) — The targets for what's considered a "healthy" cholesterol level are getting lower and lower, and ads touting the benefits of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are commonplace. So it's no surprise that many women who don’t have heart disease wonder if they should start taking a statin for prevention. On the other hand, those who have watched the ups and downs of hormone therapy may feel a sense of déjà vu about the enthusiasm for these relatively new drugs. The June issue of the Harvard Women’s Health Watch says that whether you should take a statin to prevent heart disease depends upon one thing—your risk of heart attack.
If your risk is low, taking a statin or any cholesterol-lowering drug could do more harm than good. Statins can cause liver and muscle damage, and they require close monitoring. If you’re trying to avoid a first heart attack, chances are good that some lifestyle choices—not smoking, controlling your weight, eating a heart-healthy diet, and getting regular exercise—may do the trick.
But for women who already have heart disease or are at very high risk for it, taking a statin, which helps lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, is probably a good idea—in addition to lifestyle measures. “Everyone agrees that women with heart disease or a heart disease equivalent such as diabetes benefit—possibly even more than men—from LDL lowering,” says Dr. Paula Johnson, a member of the Harvard Women’s Health Watch advisory board.
The article also tells you how to determine your heart attack risk and when to consider taking a statin.
Also in this issue:
• A monthly osteoporosis drug
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• More about stevia, the herbal sweetener
• Managing problems with macular degeneration
• A doctor answers: How to avoid gout-aggravating foods? Why am I getting yeast infections?
Harvard Women’s Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $24 per year. Subscribe at http://www.health.harvard.edu/womens or by calling 1-877-649-9457 (toll free).